Overview

• Amazon Prime Video rolled out its AI-driven “Burn Bar” during the Coca-Cola 600 and refined it at Michigan International Speedway to measure real-time fuel burn and efficiency.
• At Michigan’s caution-free final 48 laps, the feature correctly forecast William Byron’s fuel depletion and Denny Hamlin’s narrow finish, demonstrating its accuracy.
• Developed with input from analysts like Steve Letarte and Sam Schwartzstein, the tool taps thousands of telemetry data points per second to translate hidden strategy to viewers.
• The Burn Bar is central to Prime Video’s plan under its new seven-year contract to stream five NASCAR Cup races per season and engage a younger, analytics-driven audience.
• The technology has divided NASCAR fans, with champions like Kurt Busch voicing a desire for the sport’s traditional, trackside atmosphere over data-heavy broadcasts.