This past weekend in Atlanta, Bubba Wallace expressed his growing frustration regarding the inadequate visibility for spotters on road courses, criticizing NASCAR’s disregard for the issue. Wallace pointed out that the limited sightlines for spotters compromise safety and called the situation “complete bullsh*t.” Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, echoed these concerns, highlighting similar problems experienced during NASCAR’s Mexico City event last month.
Kraft revealed that many spotter stands in Mexico City were ineffective, forcing spotters to request NASCAR for better locations within the grandstands to improve their view. According to Kraft, NASCAR refused to accommodate these requests, leaving spotters struggling to monitor critical parts of the track.
Freddie Kraft Details the Inadequate Spotter Stand Placements
Freddie Kraft shared specific examples from the Mexico City races to illustrate how spotter stands failed to provide the necessary visibility. Kraft described the stand at Turn 15 as “completely useless” because it only allowed spotters to see the track exit and pit road entry, but offered no comprehensive view for safety monitoring.
This was a valid point and the point he’s trying to make is when we go to these races — like, we went to Mexico — one of the spotter stands was useless. Completely useless and that was Turn 15. You could literally see the exit to Turn 15 and the entry to pit road,
Kraft said.
So, unless somebody spun out and was sitting there, that was the only time you were actually going to do anything, and that was the primary location when we got there. … Turn 1 was even more useless. You were down on the ground looking straight down this frontstretch. So, you had no depth perception getting through 1, you could see a little in 2 and 3 but you were really low, so it was hard.
He added that although Turn 9 offered a better vantage point, the spotters’ request to have Turn 1 and Turn 9 as primary locations was denied by NASCAR. NASCAR refused to move spotters higher in the grandstands to gain a better view, despite spotters proposing to block off just 40 seats or two rows of 20 to accommodate them.
Turn 9 was fine, but we were trying to work with NASCAR, like, ‘Just make 1 and 9 the primary location. If you can move us up the grandstand, you can have a really good view and see everything,’ and they were like, ‘No, we can’t put you up there.’ I’m like, ‘There’s 30 or 40 of us, just block off 40 seats somewhere or two rows of 20.’ [They said], ‘Nope, we can’t do it.’ The idea is we’re here for safety. I know we do a lot of sh*t up there now, but the primary goal is safety. You got guys down there — you can’t see.
Spotters’ Role in On-Track Safety Complicated by Blind Spots
Spotters are essential for maintaining driver safety during NASCAR races, providing vital information about track conditions and incidents ahead. However, their effectiveness relies heavily on clear sightlines from designated stands. Road courses, like Mexico City and the upcoming Chicago Street Race, present unique challenges by having complex turns and physical obstructions that cause blind spots.
Freddie Kraft anticipates these challenges will continue at the Chicago event, where NASCAR’s placement of spotter stands has again raised concerns. Although the primary spotter location was moved from one side of the frontstretch to the other this year, Kraft expressed uncertainty about whether this change will improve visibility.
Just going forward, Chicago — they moved the primary location this year from one side of the frontstretch to the other. So, again, we don’t know what we can see and can’t see when we get there,
Kraft explained.
Anytime we do something, we change a spotter stand or go to a new track, we’re all willing to go scout a new location out and tell you where we need to be, especially on road courses, and they just never ask.
He added that NASCAR continues to place spotters without consulting them, often resulting in setups that are ineffective for race safety.
They put us wherever they want, and we get there and we’re like, ‘OK, this doesn’t work.’ We’ll see what Chicago is like. … Mexico had a lot of blind spots, Chicago is going to have a lot of blind spots.
Implications of NASCAR’s Reluctance to Address Spotter Visibility Issues
The ongoing visibility struggles for spotters highlight a broader safety concern on NASCAR road courses, where blind spots can delay the spotters’ ability to warn drivers of on-track incidents. Despite the critical role spotters play, NASCAR’s refusal to consider their requests for better positioning threatens race safety. Freddie Kraft’s comments call attention to the need for NASCAR to collaborate more openly with spotters to identify optimal locations, especially in complex track layouts.
As the Chicago Street Race approaches, fans and teams will watch closely to see whether NASCAR adapts its approach to spotter placements. Improved cooperation could enhance safety and prevent accidents, while ignoring these concerns may continue to hinder spotters’ effectiveness and potentially increase risks on the circuit.
