,
 |
| The Spotters stand is right next to the judges and announcers stand. I get the best seat in the house and get paid for it! |
During practice sessions I serve as Dai’s spotter. I sit in the spotting station which is the raised tent covered platform next to the judge’s stand. I am lucky because this is the best seat in the house. My job is to observe how Dai is doing and tell him over the radio how close he is getting to his outer limit cones and clipping point cones. I also tell him how much angle and flair he is putting into things with the eye of a judge. From my feedback he adjusts his line to where he can get the best score. What is amazing is that I rarely have to tell him much because he is such a good driver. He can control where the back of his car is going to be by inches!
I also give Dai feedback on what the other drivers are doing and where certain drivers might look better or run faster so he can experiment. I also can warn him if there are problems like fluid on the track or a car blocking the course ahead of him. I also observe the conditions for change and sometimes ask Scott to make suspension changes in the hot pits. In the rare case that Dai might hit a car or wall, I can radio him to tell him the car is ok and to keep going or to stop. If there is a problem, we can legally call for a 5 minute time out to fix the car. I have to be the one to tell the judges if we need a time out or not.
 |
| Why we do this. Photo courtesy from our pals at MotorMavens. |
In a nutshell that’s what my job is. I hope to see you at some of the later events. Come by the Falken pits and say hi, if we are not busy, we will be glad to talk to you.
