AI Just Took Over NASCAR – Here's the Burn Bar Tool Everyone's Talking About
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Amazon's Prime Video has developed the Burn Bar for NASCAR race viewers that displays real-time mileage during the race. With the help of an artificial intelligence model, each driver's fuel consumption and efficiency will be showcased after the telemetry data of each car has been analyzed.
The Burn Bar is expected to help fans gain a new insight into team strategy, especially in mileage races such as last weekend's race at the Michigan International Speedway, where drivers had to preserve fuel to make it to the end of the race.
NASCAR on Prime analyst Steve Letarte, who contributed to the development of the Burn Bar, explained that since the cars don't have a sensor that reports mileage, the AI tool makes mathematical calculations using the data obtained from the cars. He said:
Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, and Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 BetMGM Chevrolet, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400...
Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, and Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 BetMGM Chevrolet, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 08, 2025 in Brooklyn, Michigan. More"It's the first true tool that is taking information off the car, making calculations and then displaying to the fan a calculation or measurement that is being used in the garage. And it does affect the team.
"There's not a sensor on the car giving us miles per gallon. It's a mathematical calculation of other cars performances."
Let's take a peek at The Burn Bar, the newest AI-Powered innovation from @PrimeVideo! pic.twitter.com/L4JqeR0QGq — Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) June 2, 2025
The Burn Bar was featured during the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month for a short duration and will appear again this weekend for the race in Mexico.
Letarte teamed up with Amazon Web Services and Prime Video analytics expert on Thursday Night Football, Sam Schwartzstein, to develop the Burn Bar. They used four models to analyze fuel consumption and then matched them with the actual data obtained from the teams post-race to shortlist the most accurate method. Schwartzstein revealed that the test they performed at Michigan last weekend proved successful. He said:
"We projected William Byron to run out, which he did, and then we were on the razor's edge for Denny Hamlin. And then watching the truck push him back into victory lane at the end, knowing he was as close as we thought he was. What a cool way to see this feature come to life and elevate NASCAR broadcasts."
Prime Video's senior coordinating producer for live sports, Alex Strand, shared his optimism in the path the team had chosen. He added:
"It's really cool to live in a world where it shows us that anything is possible. We're starting with something that we're really excited about, but it's setting us down a path that will open up new doors for us.
"I think that's what we're really excited about is to say, 'OK, we've had success in Year 1 on a feature that's resonated with fans right out of the gate.' It raises the table for our offseason."
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