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Spotters cast sharp eye in crow's nest

NASCAR Know-How CLICK THE IMAGE TO LAUNCH CLIP The role of the spotter Start (1.2M .mov) Archives • Click here for past editions of Rusty Wallace's NASCAR Know-How

Spotters stand high above the racetrack and their job is to be my eyes, watching for wrecks and telling me when I am clear to pass someone. And aside from the crew chief, they're probably the most important person to the driver.

Spotters usually all stand together in the spotter's stand. At most places each driver has only one spotter, and a good spotter is hard to find. Usually a former driver or an aspiring driver makes a good spotter. It takes someone who understands what's going on out there, someone who can always be one step ahead of you, anticipating your next move.

It's also the spotter's job to keep up with how many laps are left and where you are in the field. It's also a spotter's job to call the green flags on restarts.

Spotters are especially crucial at the bigger tracks like Talladega and Daytona. Some teams use as many as three at those places. There, inches count, so a close-up look to make sure that you're clear of another car is important. Also, at restrictor-plate races, this is the place where the deals to find drafting partners begin. One spotter talking to another spotter is almost like the drivers talking to one another.

We also use more spotters at a road course. Here you need at least three spotters because one person can only see a small portion of the track.

If you've got a good spotter, it's as good as gold and almost as hard to come by.