Driving a F3 Open Wheel Car with GPNVG’s!

Hello folks, and thanks for popping in to check out TNVC Motorsports! I wanted to share some notes from a unique experience I was able to have recently at Spring Mountain raceway in Nevada!

 

Recently I got the opportunity to test out the L3Harris GPNVG (Ground Panoramic Night Vision Goggle)—not on the range or during training, but driving a Ligier F3 open wheel race car (a daunting car on its own), coupled with the unprecedented 97 degree FOV of the GPNVG, it was a challenge I greatly looked forward to. While plenty of folks have driven fast cars with NVGs and even GPNVGs, as far as we know this has never been attempted before with such a challenging race car.

 

After strapping in, it was quite apparent immediately the 97 degree FOV was allowing me to see the upcoming apexes with minimal head turn. The main straightaway at 120mph+ was a breeze and incredibly exciting! A very interesting phenomenon and unexpected difficulty was the surface of the Spring Mountain Charleston Peak Race track (which is new and very smooth), which created reflections from the surrounding homes and city lights, and amplified by the High Performance L3Harris Unfilmed White Phosphor image intensifiers in the goggles!

 

These reflections caused limited depth perception and skewed views down the track in certain areas. Negotiating elevation changes was a real challenge as well. If it wasn’t for these reflections; I could have continued to easily drive the F3 at 70% around the entire track.

 

Despite the reflections, after the session ended and I exited the vehicle, this experience was nevertheless one of the coolest things I have ever done with NODS by far! I still cannot believe I was able to drive an F3 car at 70% of its limit minus when not encumbered by reflections. The Panoramic Goggles are truly the best of the best when it comes down to high-speed driving and its capabilities are truly in a league of their own!

I hope you enjoyed the truly amazing footage of a truly amazing experience and some truly badass hardware!

Thanks to Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club for allowing the TNVC team to drive in the dead of night with a high performance open wheel car! If you ever get a chance to visit this facility, do so. It’s an amazing facility with an incredible staff!

~Vic DiCosola