It wasn't a blind gamble. NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson's Charlotte-based Hendrick Motorsports Inc. team, a $64 million NASCAR racing venture, had a satellite connection to near real-time weather information, and his pit crew knew a severe storm was on the way. Thanks to a portable wireless LAN that Hendrick sets up on race day, everyone with a laptop on each of Hendrick's four teams can access data and e-mail or instant message each other, giving them an edge over the competition.

Hendrick is a wireless pioneer. It's been using various iterations of wireless LAN technology for more than five years, moving from one standard to the next, seeking out higher bandwidth and escaping the interference caused by others following its lead.