CENTEREBURG — Felix Rosenqvist took the checkered flag of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at last month’s Indy 500 with an average speed of 162.021 miles per hour — and Centerburg graduate Sam Myers had one of the best seats for the race.
The Knox County man is in his third year as a spotter for Meyer Shank Racing. Perched on Turn Three, Myers’ job is to communicate primarily with the other spotter and the driver.
1st Indy 500 Race
On May 30, 1911, Ray Harroun amazed those gathered at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by winning the inaugural running of “The Greatest Spectacle In Racing,” driving his Marmon Wasp at a blinding 74.6 miles an hour.
The victory, by just 0.023 seconds, was the closest margin in the history of the race. Prior to what amounted to a photo-finish, Myers explained that the team had to keep its emotions in check.
“It was really an emotional roller coaster,” he said. “We made a strategic pit (stop) knowing that we could make one more stop on the fuel mileage we had, we pitted with 70 (miles) to go.”
Then the unforeseen happened. A car in front of Rosenqvist, failed to negotiate a turn.
“We came down right behind him and then we rode behind him for a little bit, we kept getting better,” Myers said. “He gets high off of Turn Two, tears his right front wheel off and goes up in a ball of flames and so the red flag comes out.”
Myer explained that because of the re-start due to the red flag, a one-lap shootout took place and in what has been called the “final lap for the ages,” the Swedish driver, acting more like a long-distance runner, picked his spot and slipped past David Malukas for the coveted checkered flag in the 110th running of the race.
“We just lost it, your emotions go through the roof,” Myers said.
After realizing that he was a part of not only the winning of the Indy 500, but of racing history, Myer had another obstacle to overcome.
“Once we did get down (from the perch), we’re going ‘Are you going to drive through this sea of fans to get to the (victory) lane?’ It was surreal to do all we did to get there.”
Hearing voices
During the race, the spotters are listening to several different voices.
“I’ve got a custom headset that cost me $1,400 and nothing plays in both ears,” Myers said. “Initially, I have the car and the intercom in my left ear, and then the crew. Even with all of that taking place, he believes in the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method of communication.
“I need to be able to inform the driver(s) of what I see and hear in a smooth, clear and concise delivery. That is the most critical skill. You don’t want to get ‘wordy’ on the radio. Just get him/her the information in a manner they can easily use to their advantage and then close the channel.”
Location, location, location
Positioning is crucial for Myers to describe what he sees.
“It is the most critical corner for the driver’s routine. It gives me the best view of the whole track,” Myers said.
Anyone thinking that merging on an interstate is nerve-racking needs to spend an afternoon in May with Sam Myers.
“I can see the pit exit because getting the car merged into traffic is most critical. I know the driver depends on the spotters a lot,” he said. “The spotter is the big set of eyes that communicates to the driver, the crew and the other spotter what is happening on the track.
“The spotter also keeps the driver aware of any incidents on the track, flag conditions, incidents ahead of behind the car, debris on the track. He also lets the driver know the distance of the cars around him and if another car is going to be pitting that lap.”
Spotters also communicate with the pit crew.
“Track conditions, potential for rain on a part of the circuit (with a complex covering 560 acres, it is possible for weather conditions to change as the drivers negotiate the 2.5 mile oval) or a potential incident on the track that could bring out the yellow flag.”
Identifying the car
At breakneck speeds and 33 cars running wheel to wheel, how do the spotters keep track of their driver?
“We have a few days of testing in late April and then we come back on Tuesday and are there for four days of straight testing,” Myers said. “We’ve been looking at the car with the same color scheme, and the big thing is that we can talk among ourselves so they can always let me know what car they are behind.”
In the field of racing, Myers has served in various roles from a fueler to a front-tire changer for a support team in such high-profile races as the 24 Hours of Daytona.
How did spotting enter his life?
“Our race ended on Friday, and I was sticking around to watch the 24-hour race on Saturday and Sunday, and a friend of mine was the team manager for a team competing in the 24-hour (event),” Myers said. “I asked if there was anything I could do to help, and he handed me a radio and said I could go spot for them.”
Since that six-hour stint atop grandstands, he has spotted in races covering much of the southern United States. Then came the Indy Car race.
“Thanks to my good friend Chris Long, being the number one spotter for Myer Shank Racing, I made the move,” Myers said.
While he is an official member of Felix Rosenqvist’ crew, most of what he knows comes from on-the-job training.
“I just spot as many events as I can to keep getting reps. When I watch a race on TV (NASCAR, IndyCar) I also listen along to the spotter channels in their respective apps to get a feel for how other spotters communicate,” he said.
Away from the track
The Centerburg alum has a full-time job with Air Force One, not that Air Force One, the HVAC company based in Gahanna.
Between that and Custom Air, in August, he will mark 30 years most recently as a Commercial Project coordinator.
Myer has to prioritize his time. With a family, full-time job and 15 to 20 weekends at various tracks, life can get hectic.
How long does Myer plan to climb the steps to arguably the best seat in the house and don the headsets?
“As long as they’ll have me,” he said.