What is a spotter in IndyCar? Here's what they do during races

An IndyCar spotter is a person who stays on the stands trackside during a race and helps the driver be aware of the other cars around him/her. The spotter usually comes into play during an oval race, as they take to a high ground to keep informing drivers of any crashes around the track and the other cars in close proximity to them.

Unlike F1 and most European open-wheel racing series where the races take place only on permanent or street circuits, the majority of IndyCar tracks are ovals, where a spotter is essential. Hence, those who start their journey as motorsport fans with the European racing series are unaware of what a spotter is. Let's have a detailed look at what a spotter does during an IndyCar race.

What does an IndyCar spotter do during races?

The spotter at an IndyCar race is one of the two people who are in contact with the driver throughout the race via the team radio. The spotter is constantly on the radio, informing the driver about the proximity of the cars behind him and next to him and other useful information that can help a driver out in a situation.

With cars travelling over 230 mph at the Indy 500, the drivers cover the length of a football field in just one second. In such cases, if the driver moves his attention to look at the rear view mirrors, a calamity might happen as the ability to make split-second decisions and laser focus is required when piloting a car moving at such high speeds. This is where the spotter comes in handy.

Another major area is the safety of the driver. With the driver sitting low inside the car in a cocoon-like position, the visibility out of the car is limited. In case an incident takes place on the road ahead, the spotter informs the driver about the same so he/she can take evasive actions. It's the spotter who tells the driver to take the high or the low line in such cases.

Motorsport reporter Bob Pockrass visited the St. Pete GP and spoke about the spotters:

"On something I learned today: Spotters are NOT required for INDYCAR road/street courses. Only on ovals. And two required for Indianapolis. So spotters here for teams buy a ticket in the grandstands. @IndyCarOnFOX"

A spotter at a street or a permanent circuit wouldn't make sense as they’d only be able to have the view of one or two corners. Even at the ovals, the spotters take to a higher ground from where the whole track is visible. For the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the track is 2.5 miles long and spread over an area of 559 acres, the team may opt for two spotters on the track.