Spotters feel pressure on sport's biggest stage (cont'd)

Everyone remembers their first, and I remember my first Daytona 500 spotting job like it was this morning.

It was 1997 and I was standing in the garage by the Goodwrench No. 3 hauler and JR Rhodes came up to me. He said, "Hey, Dale is looking for you. He needs you at his coach."

2010 Cup Schedule

Track	Time (ET)	TV
Daytona	1 p.m.	FOX
Fontana	3 p.m.	FOX
Las Vegas	3 p.m.	FOX
Atlanta	1 p.m.	FOX
Bristol	1 p.m.	FOX
Martinsville	1 p.m.	FOX
Phoenix	7:30 p.m.	FOX
Texas	3 p.m.	FOX
Talladega	1 p.m.	FOX
Richmond	7:30 p.m.	FOX
Darlington	7:30 p.m.	FOX
Dover	1 p.m.	FOX
Charlotte	5:45 p.m.	FOX
Pocono	1 p.m.	TNT
Michigan	1 p.m.	TNT
Sonoma	3 p.m.	TNT
Loudon	1 p.m.	TNT
Daytona	7:30 p.m.	TNT
Chicago	7:30 p.m.	TNT
Indianapolis	1 p.m.	ESPN
Pocono	1 p.m.	ESPN
Watkins Glen	1 p.m.	ESPN
Michigan	1 p.m.	ESPN
Bristol	7:30 p.m.	ABC
Atlanta	7:30 p.m.	ESPN
Richmond	7:30 p.m.	ABC
Loudon	1 p.m.	ESPN
Dover	1 p.m.	ESPN
Kansas	1 p.m.	ESPN
Fontana	3 p.m.	ESPN
Charlotte	7:30 p.m.	ABC
Martinsville	1 p.m.	ESPN
Talladega	1 p.m.	ESPN
Texas	3 p.m.	ESPN
Phoenix	3 p.m.	ESPN
Homestead	1 p.m.	ESPN

I rushed over. Dale smiled and said, "You're in." "In what?" "You're spotting for me today." My Kyle Petty flashback about made me puke.

Turns out Richard Childress was so focused on winning that elusive Daytona 500 that instead of flying his pit crew down at 5 a.m. Sunday morning, he brought them in the night before so they could get the appropriate amount of rest.

Unfortunately, some of those guys didn't get out of Welcome, N.C., very often and spent a few extra hours on the town. Three guys missed the morning alarm, and woke up about 9 a.m. the next morning. Daytona traffic was so bad they were stuck and weren't making any progress for the 1 p.m. start. Richard told them, don't even show up.

So, Dale's primary spotter became his tire carrier. I got called out of the bullpen.

Spotting for Dale in the 500 was easier than I thought. He led a lot and people didn't pass him much. With about 10 laps to go, I let my mind drift for one second thinking that I was actually going to be spotting for Dale Earnhardt's historical first Daytona 500 win.

Two laps later, all hell broke loose. Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett decided it was time to go. Jarrett got past Earnhardt first, then Jeff was trying to get underneath him. If I said inside once I said it 10 times. Next thing I knew, coming off Turn 2 all I could see was smoke and a black car flipping down the superstretch. When he stopped flipping Dale said he was OK and said, "Sumbitch just slid up and hit me." I wasn't happy my boss was wrecked, but my knees buckled with relief that he didn't start screaming at me.

There have been so many poignant moments atop Daytona's spotters stand. Both events there in 2001 stand out clearest. I spotted for Dale Jr. when Michael Waltrip led a 1-2 finish for DEI. I barely celebrated when I saw Danny Culler, Dale's spotter. I asked Danny if Dale was OK and asked him to tell Dale thanks for watching our flank. Dale was running third to the two cars he owned entering Turn 3 of the last lap and he seemed to be protecting them like a mother protecting her young.

Danny said, "Dale hasn't responded yet." I thought no problem. I'll thank him when we get to Victory Lane.

That's why it was so emotional in the July '01 Daytona event when Dale Jr. and Michael swapped positions, finishing 1-2. Michael had a big run going into the final lap and Junio got worried. I screamed, "He's got your back, he's got your back, he's going to push you, I know it." Michael had told me before the race that he wanted Dale Jr. to win that race more than anything in this world. It took me 20 minutes before I left the stand that night. I didn't want that infield celebration to end.

So we enter another Speedweeks with so much anticipation. Stakes and emotions will run high. After spotting for the master at Daytona, Michael Waltrip, for the past three years, I will be on top of the tower again this year with Martin Truex Jr. It will be a bit of a reunion.

When we recruited Martin to drive for Dale Jr. and Teresa's Chance 2 Nationwide team in 2003, I was his spotter for his Chance 2 debut in Richmond. The rumbles through the shop were this kid from New Jersey was going to get a real eye opening experience. After all, Dale Jr. had blitzed the field just about every weekend he raced that car. Poor Martin was going to feel the pressure of having to live up that expectation.

He led the race, was the fastest car all night and was fourth with about 20 to go on a restart, the first car with fresh tires. The three in front of him were mincemeat. Unfortunately, the transmission broke on the restart and Martin's night ended moments from shaking up the racing world.

Martin has pressure to live up to again. Michael won the Daytona 500 in his first race ever with NAPA. So, Martin -- game on. Let's put blue and gold back in Victory Lane! We have a tradition to uphold.

Ty Norris is vice president and general manager of Michael Waltrip Racing. He has worked within the NASCAR industry with MWR, Speedway Motorsports Inc., Dale Earnhardt Inc. and RJ Reynolds since 1990.