Use case
Measuring 0-100, 100-200 and the quarter mile with GPS
A phone's GPS fixes about once a second, so a four-second 0-100 run is four samples. The DashCAN Apex measures with a 25 Hz GNSS receiver and a 6-axis IMU, and every official time is re-derived from the raw data after the run.
How a run is measured
- A position fix every 40 ms from the 25 Hz GNSS receiver
- A 6-axis IMU mounted to the car, not held in a hand
- 0-100, 100-200, quarter mile and your own custom runs
- Every official time re-derived from the raw GPS and IMU data after the run
- Drag-style launch lights in the app
Checked against an official drag strip clock
Drag Elite Europe, Arad, 3 October 2026. A dragster ran the quarter mile in 6.788 s on the strip's Portatree timing; the Apex in the car measured 6.787 s on its own.
| Split | Official | Apex | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 ft | 1.013 s | 1.013 s | 0.000 s |
| 1/8 mile | 4.375 s | 4.373 s | 0.002 s |
| 1/4 mile | 6.788 s | 6.787 s | 0.001 s |
The strip times the run with light beams across the track. The Apex worked it out from its own 25 Hz GPS and IMU data, using the 1 ft rollout that drag strip timing uses. It was not connected to the timing system in any way.
Trap speed is not compared: the strip averages it over the last stretch before the line (325.81 km/h), the Apex reports the speed at the line itself (326.8 km/h).
What you see afterwards
- Splits and speeds
- Split times, maximum speed and the G-force trace of every run, in the app and in DashCAN Cloud.
- The run on your video
- Record in the app, and the launch lights and the measured run are rendered onto the footage when you export. GoPro or DJI footage can be imported and overlaid too.
- Engine data alongside
- With a standalone ECU on the CAN bus, RPM, boost, throttle and the rest of the channels sit on the same timeline as the run.
- Runs without the phone
- The Apex logs GPS, IMU and CAN to its own memory for over two hours. Download the session over Bluetooth and the app rebuilds the runs.
What you need
- A DashCAN Apex and the free iOS or Android app
- Switched 12 V, ground, and a clear view of the sky for the GPS
- A standalone ECU on the CAN bus if you want engine channels in the log; the runs work without it
- No transponder, no external GPS puck, no subscription
Measure the run properly, then read it at the kitchen table.
Closed-course use only. DashCAN products are intended solely for closed-course competition and motorsport use and are not type-approved or certified for use on public roads. Use them lawfully and safely, and do not operate the app while driving. See our Terms & Conditions for full details.