Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of interviews with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spotters.
Eddie D’Hondt, Spotter for Chase Elliott, No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED SPOTTING?
“I was the GM at Evernham Motorsports when Bill Elliott was driving. I actually started spotting for Bill — I guess about 16 years ago. I had been managing teams up until that point. I just sort of fell into it. I used to drive Modifieds. It just worked. I’ve been doing it ever since.”
WHAT OTHER DUTIES DO YOU HAVE WITH THE TEAM?
“We have a team meeting on Tuesdays, the driver, the crew chief and all the engineers. I have two reports I’m responsible for putting together for that meeting. That takes up most of my Monday, it’s a lot of video work and some other technical work, but that’s the other part of my job.”
DO YOU SPOT IN OTHER SERIES?
“I spot in every series every weekend. I do 105 races a year; Rolex, Modifieds, Truck, XFINITY, Cup. In depends on the series as far as who I’m spotting for each weekend. I did all of Chase’s XFINITY races, Cole Custer‘s XFINITY races; I do Ryan Preece when I’m not doing the 88 XFINITY car. I do Cole’s Truck races. The Ferrari team in Rolex.”
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH CHASE?
“Just this year. For four or five years I was with Jeff (Gordon); three years with Kyle (Busch) before that.”
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST RACE AS A SPOTTER?
“It was with Bill. I guess the (2001) Daytona 500, the race that Dale (Earnhardt) passed away.”
WHAT’S THE MOST BIZARRE THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE SPOTTING?
“Oh my gosh. I’ve lived up here all weekend for 16 years so I’ve seen a lot of stuff. There have been so many things. It’s a great vantage point. Every single weekend we get to see a lot of what no one else gets to see.”
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A SPOTTER?
“Homestead with Jeff last year and (the win at) Martinsville. I’d have to say those two. Jeff was just special. He is a special guy. He got in the trenches with you, he became your friend. You wanted to fight with him. I was working with Kyle Busch when Alan Gustafson (Gordon’s crew chief at the time) came and got me, sat down and struck a deal and five years later, here I am.”
WHAT’S THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF YOUR JOB?
“Probably the travel. I’ve been on this circuit since 1996, prior to that I raced on my own. Being away from your family is difficult. Both my boys are working in the garage, so if I want to see them I have to go find them in the garage somewhere. The rest of my family is always home, so that’s the hard part.”
WHAT CURRENT DRIVER WOULD MAKE A GOOD SPOTTER?
“That’s a good question. Maybe Carl Edwards. He likes to talk.”
WHICH TRACK IS YOUR FAVORITE?
“Bristol and Martinsville. Probably those two. I grew up on the short tracks. The thrill of the short track, anything can happen at any moment. The flow you get into in those races, I enjoy that.”
WHAT IS ONE THING ABOUT WHAT YOUR JOB ENTAILS THAT THE AVERAGE FAN MIGHT NOT KNOW?
“Today, it’s become way more intricate than what people realize. We’re providing information that we never did before. You have all engineers now on top of all these pit boxes, not guys that grew up short-track racing. These guys are all engineers now. So they talk to the drivers less and it’s fallen into our laps now to provide more and more information on things like rubber buildup, lanes that are working, braking, backing up corners. We’re talking more about driving than safety. Most of the guys up here, just go down the line, used to drive. They have some kind of wisdom about what it feels line so you’re able to talk about it. And the guys that didn’t drive have educated themselves. Those guys on the pit boxes, they’re looking at data.”