To prevent teams from manipulating the system, developed by Freescale Semiconductor and McLaren Electronic Systems, NASCAR will restrict operation with a special code.

FORBES: NASCAR Gets Greener

Forbes has tracked 625, 806 layoffs since Nov. 1, 2008, at America's 500 largest companies, including recent cuts at Sprint Nextel, the videogame developer Electronic Arts and Applied Materials, a semiconductor equipment company.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Energy efficiency is the most significant challenge standing in the way of continued miniaturization of electronic systems, and miniaturization is the principal driver of the semiconductor industry.

ENGADGET: Stanford engineers find work around for barriers to carbon nanotube computers

Magma develops software called electronic design automation (EDA), critical to the design of new semiconductor chips.

FORBES: Buy These Small-Caps Before They Get Big

The semiconductor industry is extremely cyclical, enjoying unusual growth in boom times when electronic equipment and computers are flying off the shelves, and significant softness in economic slowdowns.

FORBES: Applied Materials Looks Like A Buy