Tapley is spot on

Steve Tapley has seen thousands of short-track races over the years from some of the best spots in the house.

When you're a spotter on a race team, you get that kind of privilege. When you're good at what you do, you get to Daytona International Speedway. Saturday afternoon, Tapley was on top of the massive tower atop the fronstretch grandstands, spotting for Fadden Racing and its 19-year-old driver, Max Dumarey in the ARCA 200.

Testing aside, an ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway last fall, Daytona is the biggest track Tapley has spotted on -- so big, in fact, that teams are required 2 spotters. Team owner Mike Olsen manned the station on the backstretch for the 200.

"It's easier here than at Talladega," Tapley said of spotting at Daytona, which goes beyond the routine calls of 'clear.' "The cars move around so much there, it makes it hard. Mostly here you're just trying to let (Dumarey) know if he's hung out alone or let him know if there's people lined up to help him out. That way, he's not anticipating having help passing cars ahead of him when there's nobody there."

In addition to spotting for Dumarey, who has 5 ARCA races, a full Camping World East Series slate and 2 West Series dates on the slate this season, Tapley also spots for Maine racer Mike Rowe in the PASS North Series and PASS South Series.

"I do that when time permits," said Tapley, 45, of Hillsboro, N.H. "(Olsen's) really good about giving me time to help Mike Rowe out."

On lap 30 of the scheduled 80, Dumarey was caught up in a 20-car pileup following pit stops that put the team out of the race. Tapley was disappointed as he walked back to the infield.

"This is the hardest part for me," he said. "Until I talk to the driver, I always beat myself up. Whether it's here or at Unity, I beat myself up about what I could have done differently until I talk to the driver."

Dumarey absolved Tapley of any responsibility, saying the track had been completely blocked.