Who are the "eyes in the sky"? In NASCAR racing, those eyes can determine what is safe and dangerous. Those eyes are the spotters who stand on top of the grandstands, telling the drivers when they are clear to pass and what is happening on the race track. Spotters not only have the responsibility of watching a single race car for an entire race, but are constantly aware of what is happening around the race track with the other cars.
Mike Dillon is a spotter for several of the RCR NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch teams and is a former NASCAR Busch Series driver. During the week, Dillon is the General Manager at RCR and on the weekends you will usually find him on top of the grandstands making sure the RCR Chevrolets are staying out of harm’s way.
How long have you spotted?
I’ve spotted off and on ever since I stopped driving in the middle of 2001. That is when I really started spotting for our teams."
Having been a driver, how much does that help you when you’re spotting?
"Since I was a driver, I can anticipate what the driver wants to do with the car and where he wants to go with the car. I can also understand and sympathize with them when their car isn’t handling good. I believe the best spotters are drivers."
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