Brett Griffin (@SpotterBrett) – NASCAR’S UNSEEN HEROS
Michelle Hoskin, January 8th, 2015
@racegearcom
With 19.7K followers, his Twitter account boasts “Watching cars go around in circles for a living since 1999…”, BUT just who is @SpotterBrett? We recently were able to interview Brett and see just what it takes to be Brett Griffin, NASCAR’S unseen hero!
Michelle Hoskin: Who do you currently work for?
Brett Griffin: Elliott Sadler in the Xfinity Series and Clint Bowyer in the Sprint Cup Series.
Brett Griffin (R)
MH: Who have you worked for in the past and to what capacity?
BG: I’ve worked with Elliott since 1999. We have the longest running spotter/driver combo in NASCAR. We’ve won in all three top series. It’s been a helluva ride. I’ve been very fortunate to spot for a lot of great racecar drivers. I’ve won with Jeff Burton, Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer. I almost won a truck race with Kyle Busch at Talladega but we lost the lead coming out of turn 4. Also, during the week I manage a marketing company and also manage Elliott.
MH: How did you get started in the “spotter” side of racing?
BG: Eddie Wood of the Wood Brothers gave me my first opportunity. We finished 16th that day and missed some wrecks. I’ve been doing it ever since. Eddie and Len Wood are great people and I’ll always be grateful for their friendship and for the opportunity they gave me in this sport.
MH: Your education?
BG: Business Degree from University of South Carolina.
MH: Your favorite driver?
BG: As a kid…Dale Earnhardt and David Pearson.
MH: Your most memorable incident while on the job?
BG: Incident? Ha. I’ll go with memorable wins Bristol Motor Speedway in 2001. The Wood Brothers had never won at Bristol and we did that day. It was Elliott’s first cup win. It was amazing. Second, winning Charlotte with Clint…we had one helluva party. I woke up on a motorhome going down the highway the next morning. Thankfully I knew the driver and he was taking me home. Winning is why we all do this…
Clint Bowyer & Brett Griffin (R)
MH: Are you employed by NASCAR or the driver?
BG: The teams employ the spotters. So we work for the teams.
MH: Your favorite track?
BG: Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s the best sporting venue in America.
MH: Do you go to all the races, or only certain tracks?
BG: All of them. I’ve only missed 3 races since 1999 and those 3 were when my children were born.
MH: What’s your biggest challenge as a Spotter?
BG: Honestly it’s just having the ability to stay calm and focused…for me the calm part is the toughest. I’m very competitive and I get pissed off when I don’t win…so when we are in situations where I feel like we get the short end of the stick, I probably have a hard time staying calm.
MH: How many Spotters per driver per race?
BG: 1…unless we are at a road course and then we have a few…
Spotters at Sonoma jockeying for a spot
MH: Sprint Cup and Nationwide both?
BG: Both…Every weekend.
MH: Have you ever really messed up a call?
BG: Ha. Several. I’m sure there’s footage out there on YouTube.
MH: I’ve read that some Spotters do side work for their drivers etc., do you do “other work” for your driver in the business side of racing?
BG: A lot of guys are stay at home dads during the week. I’m not. I work pretty much 7 days a week. I like to stay busy.
MH: Are you typically at the top of the grandstands or where are you positioned? Or does it depend on the track?
BG: Depends on the track. We prefer above start / finish line as high as we can get. Pocono and Phoenix are the two toughest places to spot because of the way the spotters stand is configured.
MH: Favorite pastime that doesn’t involve racing?
BG: Snow Skiing, Deer Hunting, Boating, and hanging out with my kids.
MH: Your biggest pet peeve?
BG: Hot beer and wet toilet paper!
Follow Brett on Twitter: @SpotterBrett
