Best Racing Apps for 2014

For those not into the car hobby, we are many times considered by many to be Neanderthals. Tree huggers just don’t seem to understand the true American passion that comes with owning a true performance vehicle. All they think is that we’re hurting the environment. Fortunately, they couldn’t be more wrong. Performance enthusiasts try to make their cars run at peak performance, which means at peak efficiency. That’s environmentally good, right? Besides that, Neanderthals may very well be the first people to invent the wheel. You know, that round thing on a tree hugger’s bicycle. In this ever-changing techno world, many of us “Neanderthals” have adapted, and turned in our flip phones for the ever-evolving Smartphone. These new devices are changing our lives. It seems that many can’t think, plan, or even walk without them. Since Smartphones are so important to everyone, we decided to let you guys know about a few of the free apps for car guys that you can download. We will not be highlighting apps that show where your car is parked. If you lost it, you probably didn’t deserve it anyway. What we will show, are a few apps that are a real benefit to a car guy. Some apps are for use at the track, and some are for use while traveling. Heck, we even found one that lets you know what automotive events are going on wherever you are. The list is far from comprehensive or all-inclusive, but it’s a solid collection of some of the most useful and entertaining car-oriented apps available today that are free. We must mention that many of these apps require that your phone’s GPS be turned on. This can drain your battery, so if you are running around all day, it is probably a good idea to bring a car charger or keep a portable battery charger handy. Some of these apps gather GPS data from multiple users, that method works great in urban areas, but can result in limited data for people who often drive in less populated areas. Finally, if you plan to use these apps while you’re driving, we strongly encourage that you invest in a dash or windshield mount. If not, you might be looking for an “I crashed, what now app”. Know Your Pressures Weather conditions are a huge factor when racing. If you can’t track weather conditions, how do you know what tune your car needs? For that reason, we think that a weather app that shows barometer and other weather conditions is a must have on our list.

Weather Bug – If you’re going to an event, shouldn’t you have an idea of what weather you might hit? Access the world’s largest network of weather and lightning sensors for the most accurate forecasts, the fastest alerts and more. For you racers, there is also a real-time Barometric pressure and wind direction and speed notification. The Weather Bug data is shown in real-time, which allows you to see weather threats first, provide better forecasts, and give the fastest alerts to severe weather. Available for iPhone

 

1Weather – This free app  is a great app found on Google Play for your Android. The app has a simple interface that makes getting instant and upcoming weather a breeze. You can get real-time local weather at any location in the world, current + 48-hour, and 7-day and hourly forecasts. You can also use the follow my location that gives updated weather when you’re on the move. Finally, you can even save multiple locations to access weather at different tracks before you leave the house. Available for Android

Practice Makes Perfect – Losing a race just as the race begins is a depressing situation. Many times, it’s a driver’s reaction time that will determine the winner. So, to help you win more races, you need to practice leaving on the tree. Here are a couple of apps that can help you get even better at this all-important part of racing. Practice makes perfect, and Autonoma software has developed a practice tree so you can hone your reaction skills with your Android device. The app features both Pro Tree, and Sportsman Tree modes. It also gives you a configurable delay setting, configurable light intervals, and a very simple to use interface. There are no annoying sounds or animations that are found on other practice tree apps. This app has one purpose – to make you better off the line! Available for Android

Practice Tree Elite – for the iPhone from Doublethink, LLC, is not a game, but a tool. It was developed by drag racers for drag racers. Practice Tree Elite has been developed for precision and usability to help the serious racer. You can choose from a Pro or Sportsman tree, and even track your results. Track your progress, and use every tool available in Practice Tree Elite to dial in that perfect reaction time. Available for Apple devices

Showfinder – If you’re a car guy (or gal), you probably frequent the local car scene. But, how do you know what’s going on where? With the showfinder app from SHFT, LLC, you have your own personal automotive event guide including over 90,000 events, 4,700 cruise ins and even 300 automotive museums in the US and Canada. Their collection of data is the largest of its kind, serving you location specific results, and event information, which is easy to save and share with friends. You can select specific states, or use your GPS location and select a radius. When browsing events, you can even check out photo galleries to see cars from that event. Available for both Apple and Android devices

GasBuddy – There’s nothing worse than pulling into a gas station and paying too much for fuel. You know you paid too much, because at the next exit, you find it cheaper. If only there were an app that would let you know the price of gas at various stations near where you’re at. GasBuddy is the leading provider of retail fuel pricing information and data. They frequently update fuel prices at nearly 130,000 stations in the United States and Canada. With the GasBuddy app, you can find the cheapest gas no matter where you are, by city/zip/postal code Available on both Apple and Android Devices

Autozone – If you’ve ever been traveling to a car show or event, it never fails that you will inevitably need to fix your car. Hey, it’s Murphy’s Law, things always happen when you’re away from home. The problem arises, when you are 100 miles from home, and have no idea where the nearest auto parts store is. Since there are Auto Zone stores everywhere, having the Auto Zone app is basically a necessity. Available for both Apple and Android devices

G-Meter App – The days of buying expensive equipment so that you can measure G-forces is over. In fact, they’re now available for free thanks to mjustus. This Android, classical accelerometer (g-meter) app is available in typical aircraft instrument style. You can measure the acceleration, cornering, or braking g-forces of your car. Available for Android devices

Ali-Work’s G-Force-Meter – is the perfect iPhone app to measure, and record acceleration forces in every imaginable situation. The app uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to display the forces applied in every direction separately, as well as combined to display one resultant force. It doesn’t rely on unnecessary functions, it just provides essential features. X, Y, and Z values can be logged and sent to your computer via e mail using a text file. The G-Force-Meter is not only for the use in a car, but if you feel the need to throw your phone off of a cliff for whatever reason, you can measure how hard it hits the ground below—just sayin’. Available for Apple devices

Keep It Running – What are you suppose to do when travelling, and your car breaks down? What if you can’t fix it along the side of the road? You need a shop! ShiftMobility’s Keep It Running app connects car owners directly with a local repair centers and technicians. With this app, you can locate the nearest repair shop, get an estimate after consulting with numerous experts, and book an appointment at anytime, all from your phone! You can even search for special promotions that are being offered by local service providers. Available for both Apple and Android devices

Cantrell Motorsports Lap Timer – is the easiest to use GPS-based lap timer, data recorder, video recorder, and performance analysis app available. Unlike other apps, CMS Lap Timer does not need any track information to function. It automatically learns the track and picks a suitable start/finish location, which can be change later if need be. There is no setup or calibration required. You can even record HD video on devices that support it (In-app purchase required for this function). You have immediate analysis of performance data and video at the track (in-app purchase required). You can see lap and segment times, and it also supplies a horsepower graph. Finally, OBD2 data recording is an optional feature (using optional OBD2 modules with in-app purchase. Available for both Apple and Android devices

Xper2 Solutions’ Auto Care app – Are you neglecting your car’s maintenance needs because of your busy lifestyle? Track your car’s service and gas fill-ups with Xper2 Solutions’ Auto Care app. Start getting the maximum performance, reliability and fuel efficiency of your car. The free version allows you to manage as many cars as you need, log your fill-ups and car services, and be reminded of upcoming and due maintenance. You can have an odometer set in miles, kilometers, or hours of usage. Finally, you can track your car’s service history, so can review the history of a specific service. There are also reminders that tell you when a service is due. The free version of Auto Care does not include the premium features. But you can transfer your data to Auto Care if you decide to upgrade. Available for Apple devices

Fuelly, LLC –  has developed a Car to allow car owners to log activities, and manage and keep track of their vehicles. You can track fillups, mileage, maintenance, expenses, and trips. aCar features a modern and user-friendly interface with easy data entry. You can monitor multiple vehicles, and all tracking features time and mileage-based service reminders for oil, and filter changes, etc. It also gives you geographical location (GPS) support. This is a free version, with Professional version available. Available for Android devices.