There was an excellent article in the Delaware program this week by Shadowracer (or Mr. Racer as I like to call him), as he named some APC / Total Great Canadian Weekend highlights from yesteryear.  I now have a new personal APC highlight that will never be replaced.  I can say I pitched in and helped out with a win.  While I wasn’t driving the car, I got to be part of the crew for a day with an open door, and the access to give CRO readers a little bit of insight into what goes into being a spotter in one of the biggest races of the year.

In the weeks leading up to this year’s version of the Great Canadian Race weekend, I was just planning my usual travels during the race weekend, writing a few stories, gather info for future stories, shooting some pics, and announcing the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup races on Saturday night.
 
All that changed part way through last week, when Jesse Kennedy’s spotter was suspended for the weekend’s activities.  My history as a spotter - while much better than my history as a driver – is still pretty light in sheer numbers of races.  I did an article on spotting for Kenny Forth at Cayuga Speedway in a CASCAR Super Series race, helped out Abe Harder a few times as well, and spotted for Andrew Thompson during a few nights at the end of the Delaware season years ago (getting him to within six laps of a win in a 75-lapper), but it’s been many green flags since I last keyed that mic.

I got the phone call from Kennedy asking me to spot for him on a Labour Day at Delaware.  While spotting for Kenny, Andrew and Abe were all a lot of fun, Jesse is a serious threat to win at the ½-mile oval every time out, so I could be in the thick of the action up front.  

I tend to remain ... well ... normal and calm in the days leading up to the biggest of races (after all, what do I have on the line – as a journalist my favourite driver is the one I draw in the pool on race day – so I don’t really have a horse in the race), but the last couple of days before one of the biggest race days of my life this year were nerve-wracking.  I spent all my spare time trying to remember ever lesson that I had ever learned while spotting.  It seemed like I just wanted to make sure I was prepared, but it ended up just giving me a headache, and praying, “Please don’t let me tell him he’s clear when he’s not.”

Kenney wouldn’t be driving his normal car, as his #10 had been bent pretty good two weeks prior at Delaware.  It wasn’t until Dan Delisle made an offer for Jesse to drive his car from last year that had been sitting all year in the 300 of 2008 that Kennedy actually had a ride.  Delisle would be working with his son Kyle, and the 2007 Delaware champ would have a pretty good chariot in the 5X car.  

Kennedy’s plan was to stick with Desile’s number and run the ‘Invader’ race, trying to get as good of a qualifying position as possible for the feature.  He was also planning to collect last place points during the pair of regular Delaware Late Model 25-lappers by starting.  That would make him and I busy during the early part of the day.

After picking up my headset we took a dry run through practice, or at least made sure the radios worked.  I practiced my ‘car high’, ‘car lows’, and ‘clears’, before heading to the top of the hill for practice.  Kennedy got down in the 19.2’s early in the session before parking the car after just three sets of hot laps, pleased with the times on the slick track.  But we were having a slight problem as Jesse was having  a little trouble hearing me.  The team decided that I should swap radios with his crew chief, with Jesse saying, “I’d much rather be able to hear my spotter clearly than my crew chief.”  With practice still winding down and the track cross over closed, it gave me a little downtime to do what spotters get to do a lot of ... wait.  

After practice, it was a swap of equipment, and a little last minute instructions, as I wouldn’t be back to the pit stall before the first action.  I was told to remind Jesse to check his gauges, as he didn’t want the car to run too hot in the extreme heat of the day.  Next, it was on to qualifying.  This would be a great opportunity for me to do some more waiting, as when it comes to spotting for qualifying, you might as well just save the battery in the radio.

Because of Jesse only be turning one lap in each of the Delaware Late Model 25-lappers, so I basically had those races to myself, as I still had pictures to take.  After hitting victory lane for a few shots, I sprinted to the spotter location under the VIP lounge to man my post for the Invaders 25-lap qualifying.  Jesse started on the pole for the event and I had to say clear heading into the first turn, but he checked out after that.  After leading 24 laps with a comfortable 2 second cushion the yellow flew for the first time in the race, and Kennedy would be forced to go through the gearbox one more time on a final restart, while holding off D.J. Kennington for the final lap and claiming the green.  Even then, there wasn’t much I could do - was I really going to tell Jesse Kennedy how to pace the field on the restart – not likely.

After the second race for the Delaware drivers hit the stage again to decide a championship, so I got a few more photos in before the main event.

I headed up top to find a spot, and it had never really dawned on me just how diverse the crowd of spotters is.  There were crew members, crew chiefs, sponsors, drivers from other divisions, car builders, wives, and Marc Jacobs 11-year old little brother Jaxon, a racer himself.  I guess a spotter doesn't come in any particular shape or size.  I found a spot and settled in for a long day of squinting into the setting Delaware sun.

The green flew, and Jesse made my first task easy, as he got a great start on the outside of Steve Robblee and I was able to clear him heading into turn one.  Jesse would lead for over 20 laps while I tried to remain focused on what the #28 was doing behind him.  Here I was trying to help Jesse keep quite arguably the best Delaware driver of the past 25 years, behind him.  

Early on, my mouth went dry as Robblee was putting heat on Jesse and the field was stacking up behind him.  “Why hadn’t I brought some water with me?”  Luckily I was saved by an early red flag that would allow me to dart to the snack bar for a quick Coke before returning to my post well in advance of the green.

When they went back green, Jesse’s lead would be short lived, as Robblee was able to sneak a nose in on Kennedy’s 5X, and for the next 4 laps, I sounded like a broken record, “Car low, car low, still there, car low...”

I wasn’t able to find him a spot in line until he was in ninth, and the team had gone from hero’s to ‘the guys who led a bit early’ in just a few laps.  Jesse would then show the poise of a veteran, as he sliced through the field and moved up to fourth by lap 75.  That was when the crew started to talk about the changes that would have to be made during the five-minute halftime break at lap 100.  The car was loose from the middle of the turns out, so I was the relay man, finding out what the car owner thought.  Dan left the choice up to Kennedy, but his ideas were that the outside tire might have grown too much, and opening the stagger, so he suggested adding wedge and taking a ½ and inch of stagger out.  

Then the power steering pump failed on Kennedy, and he would be forced to overcome tired arms as he wrestled with the car for the rest of the afternoon.  He came over the radio and told me to ask Dan, “Find out what the story is with the power steering.”  

Delisle responded, “We’ve never had a problem with it before.”

I relayed the message back to the driver, but he asked again.  “Ask him again if he’s ever had a problem with it.”

The second time I asked Dan, I got confirmation that this was a new problem.

I told Jesse that Dan said “There is nothing you’re going to be able to do about it.  You’re going to have to tough it out.  You used to do it without power steering all the time, this should be no problem.”

From the seat while zipping around the track in fourth, Kennedy thought out loud, “If do both, the car won’t rotate as much in the centre.  I think the wedge will take the loose out coming out, so let’s just go with the wedge.”  With the crew chief gone, who would anyone have been to question him.  It was met with a “sure,” from the pit box.

All seemed well despite Rob Clarke getting by, shuffling Jesse back to fifth, but my job was remind him not to abuse the car at all, as he had an open straightaway behind him, there was a yellow coming for a break, and he was starting to get into the heaviest lapped traffic of the day.

He picked his way through the slower cars until the yellow appeared on lap 101, as Jesse wheeled his red Chevy to the crew.  They fuelled the car, took tires, and made the wedge adjustment, in on one side, and out on the other to tighten up the car.

Shortly after the break, good news came over the radio from the pit stall for Kennedy, “The tires didn’t grow too much.  They were right on.”  I’m sure the message put a grin on Kennedy’s face as big as the one that came over mine.  If the stagger wasn’t a problem, it meant the wedge change should make the car handle even better.

Shortly after the restart, Steve Mathews got into Brandon Watson and Kennedy was able to pick up a spot to fourth, and gained third as Mathews was black flagged for the incident.  Jesse would work his way by Rob Clark and start chasing leader D.J. Kennington.

Probably the craziest moment I had was shortly after lap 153.  With Jesse between Kennington and Robblee (all three in red cars), and none seeming to be in a position to pass, I quickly glanced to the other end of the speedway while the trio was getting into turn three.  There were a number of cars trying to wreck, but they all made it through.  I quickly turned back to the start finish line to pick up my guy, only to see two red cars side by side coming down the front stretch.  I was worried that Robblee was making a move, but it was Jesse stomping by D.J.  All I had to do was yell out another ‘clear’ as they came out of turn two.

I had also re-learned another valuable lesson in spotting 101.  Keep your eyes on your car, and if you’re going to look away, a second or two, but not the seven or so it takes to get from turn three to the stripe.  

Kennedy continued to get tremendous restarts, but after a few laps, Kennington went on the prowl again, getting to the inside of Kennedy, with Robblee bouncing him back to third.  I was able to get him back in line in front of Watson, but he had lost the lead and Kennington and Robblee were pulling away.  

With 10 laps to go, I had pretty much concentrated my efforts and figured Kennington and Robblee were going to sort out the win, while I was helping to keep Watson in fourth.  Little did I know what was still in store.

Now came the biggest difference between watching  a race as opposed to spotting.  I wasn’t going to take my eyes off of Kennedy’s car, as he was having his hands full with Watson (and in light of my earlier miscue).  They were a number of car lengths behind the leaders, but I saw the reaction of the crowd in front of me ooh and ahh and quickly looked ahead on the track to watch Robblee and Kennington slam into the wall, leaving Kennedy with just Watson to contend with for victory.

During that final battle with Watson, I had my most tense moment of the day, as Kennedy was caught with Watson’s bumper under his car going into turn three.  I quickly said looking, but clear and Jesse cut to the bottom.  While Watson could’ve stayed in there, he knew it wasn’t his line, no matter what was on the line in the closing moments of the biggest asphalt Late Model race in the Ontario racing season.  And I think he gained not only the respect of Kennedy in those late stages, but anyone that was watching.  Under yellow just before the last restart of the day, Jesse asked me about whether it was contact or he was just getting loose, “Jesse,” I said.  “He got into you a bit, but he let you off.  You just have to make sure he doesn’t get to your bumper and you won’t have to worry about him.”

The last restart was picture perfect for the 5X as were the final few laps with Watson nipping at his heels, but Kennedy was not about to give it away, and captured the $10,000 APC 300 for the second time in three years, pulling his power steering-less car to victory lane.

Jesse was gassed when he climbed from the car, but victory was his and again, while I was just a very small part of the win, it was something that I will never forget, and gave me a great chance to bring a solid race day story to life, and all the way to the winners Circle.  

I just want to thank Jesse and his crew for giving me the kind of incredible access to be able to be part of the team for the day, and agreeing that I could make the event a tell all piece.  It was stressful, but a lot of fun, and the results just made it that much more enjoyable.

Additional notes from The APC / Total Great Canadian 300

D.J. Kennington and Steve Robblee both spoke about the last lap incident that sent the pair into the wall and out of contention with less than 10 laps to go.

Kennington said, “I got dumped.  I crowded him down and he turned me in the middle of the straightaway.  We were in good shape, and had the car to beat.”

Robblee explained, “I got under D.J. coming out of turn two and we were both looking for the same piece of real estate.  My car darted to the bottom and then came back across the track and took us both out.  Believe me - that was the last thing that I wanted to happen.

Quote of the weekend

Dave Alexander, one of Steve Robblee’s crew members after Robblee had essentially wrapped up the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup on Saturday night, and then won his ninth Delaware Speedway Late Model championship on Sunday to go with two CASCAR Super Series, 4 Carquest Sportsman, and 2 LOSC titles through his career.  “Steve now has 17 titles.  That’s more than the ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair!” - Whoo