Get More Out of NASCAR with Scanners

If you're a NASCAR racing fan, you probably have a favoritedriver. After all, NASCAR is a lot like a soap opera or a movie:drivers are Good Guys or Bad Guys, and then there's Your Guy. Youwant to know as much as possible about your driver, so you'llhave the background when you watch the race each week on TV or inperson at the track.

But if you aren't listening to your driver's radiocommunications, you're missing out on a whole world of intrigue.The radio link between a driver and his Crew Chief back on thepit box is a vital tool in their quest to cross the finish linefirst. Even though everyone involved knows that NASCAR officials(and fans) monitor the frequencies, the heat of a race means lotsof spontaneous comments and outbursts.

Most of the conversations are routine. The spotter, who sits highabove the track, will call out car positions: "Three wide “or”The 6 car's in your mirror."

When it's time to head for the pits for service, the driver willstart rattling off the car's condition, telling the Crew Chief ifthe suspension needs to be adjusted or what he thinks of thetires. In return, the Crew Chief will radio back what he plans todo to fix the car.

The most interesting conversations, though, happen when things gowrong. Drivers say what they think, and that gives you a clueinto their personality and how they feel about the race.

During one recent race, Michael Waltrip, who is having a toughseason, told his crew what was wrong with Car 55. It was shakingbadly, and he held the microphone open so they could hear hisvoice vibrate along with it.

The Crew Chief asked him, "What do you want us to do?"

That's when Waltrip, in a rare display of anger, shouted into theradio, "I don't know! That's your job! I tell you the symptoms,and you figure out how to fix it."

If you watch the race on TV, you'll find that a great dealhappens while the network is in a commercial break. Anotherdrawback to watching on TV is that they can only cover so manydrivers at a time, and yours may be left out.

Fortunately, you can listen to those radio transmissions at thetrack or at home.

At The Track:

You have two options. You can bring your own scanner or rent one.Serious race fans have their own and have their drivers'frequencies programmed into them in advance. Radio Shack sells ascanner that's pre-programmed with NASCAR channels, but it isvery simple to buy a "regular" scanner (about $80-$120) and findthe frequencies on-line. If you buy your own, you will also needto buy a heavy "double-muff" headset. This is very important,because the engines are so loud that you will no be able to hearyour scanner with anything less. Walkman-style headphones, EarBuds, or earphones will not work. Even at top volume, the roar ofthe cars will drown out the sound.

If you rent a scanner at the track, it comes with those headsets,and the radio is pre-programmed as well. Renting will set youback about $50 for the weekend, so if you're going to more thanone race, buying is the way to go.

At Home:

If you watch the races at home, you can still listen to thescanner traffic. Through its website NASCAR offers a subscriptionto Raceday Scanner, which lets you listen to drivers through yourcomputer. (Note that not all drivers are available, so you'llwant to check and see if yours is one of them.) The ideal setupis a laptop computer you can move near the TV, or a desktop thathappens to be nearby, with a broadband connection. The sound isdelayed about six seconds because of the time it takes to get toyour computer, but it is still well worth the minimal cost to subscribe.

There's a lot going on that you don't know if you aren'tlistening in. Once you hear the behind-the-scenes action, NASCARracing will never be the same.