An engineer in your pocket!

 A Race Engineer in Every Racer's Pocket: 
Meet the Two Young Founders Building It
Every once in a while, someone shows up in our inbox doing exactly what we believe in, and we can't wait to tell you about it.

This week, that was RaceSense.

Karting has a problem we've talked about a lot at Kart Wire: the things that make you faster tend to cost money. A coach, a data setup, a crew. If you're a family with a used kart and a tight budget, you're usually doing it alone. Harry Bedford and Samuel Williams looked at that and decided to build something about it.

We think it's one of the best examples of what this publication is for: making racing easier for the everyday driver.

 Two Racers, One Idea

Harry and Samuel describe themselves as young engineering enthusiasts with a shared passion for motorsport and technology.

Their idea is simple, and it comes straight from the paddock. "Grassroots racers should have access to useful race information without needing a dedicated engineer or someone constantly monitoring a timing screen," Harry told us.

Professional teams have someone watching the numbers and radioing the driver. Most of us have a timing screen we squint at between sessions, and a driver who wants to look at the track, not a screen.

 What RaceSense Does

RaceSense is an Android app that Harry calls "a virtual race engineer in your pocket." It takes live timing data and turns it into spoken updates through your audio device. Depending on the data available, you can hear:

- Lap times
- Your track position
- Gaps to the drivers ahead and behind

Callouts are kept brief so drivers keep their focus, and the team recently added a notification sound that warns you a callout is coming. Setup is meant to be easy: install the app, select the timing session and driver, and connect your audio.

The Price Is the Point

RaceSense costs **£4.90, a one-time purchase** (roughly $6) on Google Play. There's no subscription and no premium tier.

That's the part that gets us excited. A tool that does a piece of a race engineer's job, for the price of a couple of coffees. That's what lowering the barrier to entry looks like.

 The Honest Fine Print

The founders were upfront with us about what RaceSense can't do, and we respect that.

It works from live timing data published by the track, so it only works where that data is available. Right now it supports tracks using Alpha Timing, with a MyLaps integration in development that should open it up to many more. It can work at rental and indoor tracks too, if they publish timing data online. It doesn't connect to a driver's MyChron or transponder, and it's meant to supplement a driver's judgment, never replace it. On privacy, the founders say the app doesn't collect user data and stores session data on the device only.

For younger drivers, they recommend parents check event rules, make sure equipment is securely fitted, and confirm the driver can still hear marshals and important warnings.

Why We're Excited
Racing gets fairer one small barrier at a time. Not every family can afford a team, and not every track will be able to offer fancy tools. But when two young racers see a gap in the sport they love and build something to close it, at a price anyone can pay, that's worth telling people about.

We haven't run it in a real session yet. That's the next step. We're working on setting up a track testing day soon, and when we've have, we'll bring you a full Kart Wire Product Review.

In the meantime, we'll keep cheering for Harry and Samuel. Their next priorities are more timing systems, MyLaps first, and improving the app from racer feedback. "I'd love people to ask for new features," Harry says. "Week in, week out, we work to improve based on user feedback."

**RaceSense**
- Website: [racesense.info](https://www.racesense.info/)
- Platform: Android (Google Play)
- Price: £4.90, one-time
- Instagram: @race.sense.app
- Founders: Harry Bedford and Samuel Williams
- Get the app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.racesense.racesense

*Disclosure: RaceSense gave Kart Wire free access codes to try the app.

If you've got a tool, a gadget or an idea that makes racing easier and cheaper for everyday drivers, we want to hear about it.


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