Spottersville: Population 1...

The ASA Midwest Tour has invited its race teams to share their insights to the race fans. Whenever a team has a story to share, we will post them on the website for your enjoyment. It's a great way to get to know the behind the scene people and stories in the ASA Midwest Tour.

By Molly Vadnais
I am hearing voices in my head. Are they hallucinations? Is it a psychiatric condition? Nope, it is just my new position with Vadnais Racing as a rookie spotter. I like to think of this as a promotion of sorts, and I know there is a large level of trust that is being instilled onto me. I feel like it is a rite of passage, like I am getting a decoder ring or getting to learn a special handshake. I have gone where few women get to go, I am up in Spottersville. I look at myself as having my Spottersville learning permit. I spot for practice and I am just waiting for my chance to move up to the big game.

My original crew position was that of scorer when Josh competed in the NASCAR Autozone Elite Division Midwest Series. Let me tell you, that is a thankless job. You don't get to watch the race, you get to watch the clock. For those of you who have never had the, um, honor, of scoring for a race team, you are given a card with a couple hundred little boxes. Every time your driver crosses the start finish line, you write down the number on the large clock that is teetering from the fence. Lap one, 17, lap two 34, lap three 51 etc, you get the idea. Well, this means if you are watching your driver make an exciting pass, you have to remember to write down the number. I admit to having a short attention span and when push came to shove, I was more interested in watching Josh than watching numbers tick by on a large clock. Unfortunately, this is their backup system for what lap your driver is on and if you miss a lap, they go a lap down. I know, a lot of pressure, right? You're telling me! All of a sudden you look at the score card and notice that you are not on the right lap and let me tell you that is one heck of a sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach. It is because of the buckling under pressure I was surprised when I moved up to ranks of rookie spotter on the Vadnais Racing team.

When Josh first told me I was spotting, I panicked a bit. We were at the All American 150 at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville, Tennessee, working with a skeleton crew. Josh broke the news to me, judging for my reaction. "I think I am going to need you to spot during practice because I need everyone else in the pits...what do you think?" I took a deep breath and told him I was up for the challenge. Now mind you, previously, I did not even have a radio on when Josh raced (they are frowned upon in the scorers area and were just another distraction on my ridiculously short attention span) so my knowledge was extremely limited. The day was beautiful and sunny as I was handed a clipboard with two stopwatches, strapped into a radio and scanner and told to start my ascent to
Spottersville. As I climbed the uneven steps, I tried to relax, reassuring myself with thoughts that people don't crash in practice (untrue), that I was a smart girl and I could figure it out (hopefully) and if all else failed Josh was a talented enough driver to make up for my shortcomings (absolutely). I got settled in, turned on the scanner and the radio, and waited for the practice session to start. Josh's voice boomed over the radio "You got me, Moll Doll?" and we were in line ready to go. I moved slightly and wouldn't you know it, the scanner flew off the bench and I was up and chasing down the batteries that were rolling through the grandstand. I finally answer Josh back and after a dead battery, a radio swap and a few cautions flags, practice ended. I had survived, and you know what else, I liked it!

For those of you that have not had the privilege of spotting (there is no sarcasm involved like that included in the scoring comment), it is a bit of a rush. I know there is the back up of all the other crew members and the fact that I can watch Josh race and help him on the track is a thrill. I quickly picked up the lingo and am doing much better at multitasking in Spottersville. When they first handed me the clipboard and asked me to get times I thought they were joking. I was trying to make sure Josh did not get taken out; I did not have time to fuss with lap times. I had a duty and felt I needed to give it my full attention. Now I can write down some lap times, I can blend him in to traffic and when he says, "Moll Doll find me a hole" my palms don't get sweaty and my breathing stays regular.

This is not to make light of the very important job, mind you. It is a lot of responsibility. It is not uncommon for me to say "high -wait I mean low (however it comes out as one word)" or for Josh to tell me to calm down and speak clearly (I admit, I get a little worked up when I watch him out there.) When I was helping crew for another ASA Late Model Team and got the honor of spotting for Trent Snyder Racing during practice, I got a few surprised chuckles when I warned him about a "slow truck low" during a caution. The important part, though, is I am learning. I know not to chatter, which in my opinion is why the women folk are usually sent towards the scoring station. I know some women that would spot like "Oh, there is a car, it is on the track and it is a really pretty blue car..kind of a light blue..a number 12.hmmm do you know who that would be? I can't seem to remember there name.." and if you notice there was not one statement about
where the pretty blue car was located. I know to just give the pertinent information and let Josh do his job. I know the difference between bumper, quarter and door, and that "green, green, green" and "whoa, whoa, whoa" are the most important things to get out over the radio. I am slowly learning, biding my time until I am ready to move from the minor leagues of spotting to be part of the big game. I practice continually, I am focused and dedicated. When on the highway, I call out my own position, when watching racing on TV, I armchair spot, heck even at the grocery store I whisper clear when I pass another cart in the aisle. You never know when they are going to need you in the major leagues, and I am going to ready. Until then, I am going to "hit my marks, watch my line and stay smooth."