BUSCH: NASCAR changes spotter policy

Concord, NC -- NASCAR Winston Cup Series officials will enforce a new spotter policy beginning next week, when all three main NASCAR divisions, Craftsman Truck, Busch and Winston Cup, hit the track for practice sessions. There must be a spotter in the designated spotter stand during every on-track session. The spotter will have to check in with NASCAR on arriving at the track.

The new policy comes on the heels of ARCA driver Eric Martin's death this past weekend at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. Martin had spun his car and was sitting near the top of the track when the car driven by Deborah Renshaw slammed into the driver's side of his car. Although there were flashing caution lights around the 1.5- mile track, Renshaw's team's spotter atop the hauler could not direct her where to drive on the track.

On Friday, Jim Hunter, vice president of communications for NASCAR said, "We are looking at the possibility of putting some sort of mechanism in the car. With spotters, we're certainly looking at that after the other day. Some teams use spotters during practice and some don't. We're going to have to decide whether we're going to mandate it or highly require it,"

The new requirement is a change from previous procedures, which allowed spotters to work practice sessions from atop the team's hauler.

NASCAR announcement