NASCAR Cup Series

Extra spotters can be key at Watkins Glen

Published Aug. 10, 2009 4:28 p.m. ET

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Other than the obvious difference between the road courses at Sonoma and Watkins Glen — the length and number of turns — the number of spotters varies from team to team as well.

At the Glen, some drivers prefer two spotters, others three.

The drivers that opt for two spotters post one on the front stretch grandstand and another in the bus stop. A third spotter can be used through the esses moving on to the back straight-away.

When Marcos Ambrose won the Nationwide Series race on Saturday at the Glen, he had his regular spotter Al DiRusso atop the grandstand, his owner Tad Geschickter in the bus stop and former Busch North racer Joey McCarthy to guide him through the esses.

"Now, with the new double file restarts it's critical to have someone spotting through the esses," DiRusso said. "The Glen is configured completely different from Sonoma so it works out well."

For Ambrose on Saturday, three spotters worked out extremely well. Kyle Busch took the lead from David Ragan on Lap 48, but Ambrose was quickly closing in. Although Ambrose's winning move didn't come until Lap 63, DiRusso said his driver attempted to pass Busch 10 circuits earlier.

"Because it's a road course, the driver has to pass him wherever he can," DiRusso said. "Once Marcos caught Kyle and passed him in the bus stop, his spotter never said a word."

Jeff Dickerson was Busch's main spotter, but he couldn't identify the spotter who filled in for the team on Saturday. Busch uses just two spotters and his regular second-spotter is Kenny Wallace's primary spotter and was working with the No. 28 car on Saturday.

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