• RME Gear & Apparel

Spotter and Driver skills in Competitions

Greg

Greg

I run a tight ship... wreck
Admin
Location
Grand Junction, CO
Comp. Spotter and Driver skills

OK, lets have a detailed discussion about Spotting and Driving in Competition. I'm mostly looking for ideas from those who've Competed, but other opinions are welcome.



What skills does a good Spotter need?

And the Driver?

What makes a good Comp. Team?

What mistakes have Drivers/Spotters made that you've witnessed?

How could they have improved?

Who's one of the best Teams in the Comps?
 
BlackSheep

BlackSheep

baaaaaaaaaad to the bone
Supporting Member
Location
South Carolina....no public land
Ok,
I've never competed, but in my experience, when working as a team, the driver has to trust his spotter. What this means to me, is that the driver does what the spotter tells him.

Or, to put it another way......if you're not going to pay attention to your spotter, why the heck is he/she even out there????

I see a lot of guys who don't pay any attention to their spotter. I'm not just talking about the trailside spotters, but guys who ask a specific person to give them a spot, then don't pay any attention to them...........I don't understand that!!

So, you can say a similar thing about a driver.....they should have the patience and trust to pay attention to their spotter and drive as the spotter directs.

my $0.02
 
Shawn

Shawn

Just Hanging Out
Location
Holly Day
Only one major thing come to mine,,

Communication.

Under standing each other,

Team work.


OK, maybe two.
 
Caleb

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
Well, I have never competed in a 4 wheel comp but with my work its kinda the same thing...when I'm cruising at 80mph going through 2-3ft water I just have to trust my spotter(the plane) that they wont run me on ground...I think trust is a main part, like blacksheep said
 
S

sukaB

Guest
Team work and great skills in seeing and driving a line and mentally seeing what could happen and correct before it's screwed
 
2

2BIGTJ

RUKKASTIXX Motorsports
Location
Highland, Utah
Ok I have never competed personaly, but I will be shortly, so in my study i have found that the number one thing to a succesfull team is the spotter. the number 2 is the driver listening to the spotter. and number 3 is the driver trusting the spotter. so it all revolves around the spotter. I have seen teams that have a different spotter every comp. and it is hard for them, it seems like they are on different planets but taems like the Shaffers that are set and both know what the other is going to do and how they will react to different situations, and what happens they win the series. I would say in my opinion the Shaffers are the best team out there. but that is just my opinion. Sorry SukaB
 
S

sukaB

Guest
Sorry nothin I know by far I'm not even close to half the dudes I go against...But i can say I have the best consistent record minus of course my teammate Christopher..No one yet has finished first and second back to back years in a series so I hold one record...
And I beat chris in the super crawl... Yahhhhoooooo....
John Gilleland and Tracy Jordan are my toughest I think......
Yes team work is key the more you work together the better you'll be..I had a Virgin Spotter for supercrawl and I was in second place the whole weekend until I screwed the pooch on obs #9....DAMN IT
There goes more money....
Ohh well I love it....
 
Y

yellowbronc

Registered User
Location
provo,ut
I think the spotter and driver is a important part, but the way the rig is set up is a big part to. Frist it was walker evens, he dominated then there was currie. they both had the best riggs at the time, but now the competition is so tough that there hardley anybody wins back to back events becouse the each terrain calls for diff riggs. shaffer has a lite rigg and thats great for st george and vernal places like that, but like suka was saying he was in second in (until he broke)farmington for the supercrawl, shaffer took 14th I think the spotter/ driver is a part but the geometry of the vehicle makes a huge difference.
 
2

2BIGTJ

RUKKASTIXX Motorsports
Location
Highland, Utah
dont get me wrong I think that the rig that you drive makes a huge difference depending on your terrain, but if you were to break it down, you would see that the guys with the experience and the established teams are the guys winning, look at Suka he has the experience and that is why he took 1st and 2nd back to back years. It is an old saying but I think it is very true that it is 80% driver and 20% rig. especialy now that most of the rigs competing are fairly simalar to a point, of course every team will have there tricks to there rig but that is were the 20% comes in. but that is just my opinion.
 
Andy

Andy

aka. Hollywood
Location
Here and there....
It's 80% driver that's why I suck. It's all about team work, and your spotter seeing the lines for your rig, the rest of it is up to the driver to make sure he knows his rig. B is definitely a good driver, he just needs a consistent spotter.
 
NoTrax

NoTrax

New Wheels Big Trax
Location
Utah
From my minor expiereince with comps, and logical thinking. I would think that a spotter is there to communicate to the drive what he cant see from his angle.

That woud put the spotter at a very imporant position.

I think that you need to trust each other, and use them for more than a fat man on th end of a rope ;-P

Any of you have any tips on how to get your foot in the door? I would like to really get more into the basics.

Id be willing to whore myself out, at apprenticeship level to just get the chance to learn most of the stuff half o fyou think is the basics.
 
Last edited:
S

sukaB

Guest
Hold up..... Hold up......
back the jeep up!


I didnt break at supercrawl i just didnt make it up the #9 and i didnt want to roll or wreck like walker and chris did...

My Head got in the way again with thinking too much instaed of just driving....

That's why i drive so good with a hang over cause I don't give a shi! ......Every time I get a trophy all most..
Even if i'm driving a customers rig...
 
Greg

Greg

I run a tight ship... wreck
Admin
Location
Grand Junction, CO
So, having a Spotter that knows his Driver is very important. Knowing how he'll drive, which lines he prefers, and having a idea what he'll do in certain situations.

I've seen Spotters so concerned with helping the rig drive, they neglect to see the cones the Driver can't. Would it be safe to say that the Spotter shouldn't focus on weather or not the rig can get up the Obstacle (To a point, of course) and try keep an eye out for the Cones? Let the Driver worry about the Driving......
 
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