Why Is Everyone Around You At The Track Wearing Those Headsets? What The Heck Are They Listening To? Should I Get One?
I’m not sure if you missed the memo but if you are asking yourself these questions then you may have. You see, listening in on the race has become infectious. Lately it seems like nearly everyone at the race track has a set of headphones on. So the uninitiated wonder what are they listening to? And if they should fork over the bucks and listen in as well.
What everyone is listening to is a NASCAR Scanner that allows the ardent race fan to listen to the communications between the driver, crew chief, spotter, and occasionally between two drivers. Sort of like when you hear the communication televised between astronauts and ground control. Pretty cool eh?
When you buy a scanner you get a list of frequencies, stations on the dial if you will, that you tune to to listen to the drivers. It can be a lot to digest sometimes with all the chatter. As you might imagine, flying around a track at speeds close to 200 miles per hour with 20 or 30 other guys trying to bump and pass and God knows what else, leads to some pretty interesting conversation.
On a a short track just three or four drivers will keep you busy while at a track like Daytona or Talledega you can listen to seven or eight drivers without being overwhelmed. The shorter the race track the greater the amount of information that the spotter and the crew chief need to exchange with their driver and hence the increased chatter to focus on.
When you turn on your NASCAR Scanner there is one word you will hear over and over. The most common phrase heard over the scanner is “clear.” The spotter says this to tell the driver that there is no longer a car beside him and that he can move back up (or down) into the groove after a pass.
After the driver has a few laps on the tires he will usually report in on how the car is handling. This usually consists of the driver saying that the car is loose or tight and in what part of the turn (entering, the center or exiting) followed by a short discussion about how to fix it (track bar, wedge, air pressure, etc…)
On your NASCAR Scanner you will also hear strategy discussed with the driver and his crew. Discussions as to when to pit, who to pit with, who to draft with, when to lay back and when to press hard. Since the driver is concentrating on driving the car it can be helpful for his crew chief to fill him in on the bigger picture of what is going on in the race. You get to hear it all!
Imagine being in the huddle of the Pittsburgh Steelers on that drive that won them the Super Bowl. Think you may have heard some interesting chatter? Now imagine that being 30 huddles simultaneously and you can picture the raw, in your face at 200MPH “discussions” that take place during a race.
So the question remains. Do you need a NASCAR Scanner to enjoy the race? Well if being more aware of the strategy of the race, and hearing what is going on during the race allows you to be more involved in the race, more knowledgeable about NASCAR and you will have more fun at the races. It’ll definitely keep you on your toes!
It is undeniable. A NASCAR scanner enhances the experience of attending a race. It takes you out of the bleachers and puts you IN the race.
Check out the sample recordings of race chatter at the left of this page and hear the race for yourself!
