As a track worker, and after standing on the starting line at several races, it is amazing how many cars are NOT lined up in the groove. Some are not even close. I am not talking just fun nights, but bracket races and divisional points meets.

You will often see me helping friends on the line, mostly to ensure they are indeed in the "groove".

The starting line is a tricky area, bald spots can begin to appear very quickly and are not always visible form the drivers seat. It never hurts to have that extra little bit of confidence that your in the right spot on the lane to get a more consistent launch, particularly on a car with border-line traction.

How many of you drivers have actually had the opportunity to stage your car, then get out and walk around it to see how you are lined up? If you haven't done that, how do you know your "spot" is actually in the grove? A couple of inches one way or the other could make the difference between a perfect launch and a sudden pull to towards the wall.

And while the track prep guys work hard, it is not uncommon for them to miss a few drops of oil from the previous car. The driver cannot see these well enough, so that is the spotters job.

In a perfect world, the entire starting line area should be prepped and sticky, but at an event trying to run 300 cars down the track 7 or 8 times in a day, the starting line is not always consistent and the best place to be can move a little.

Since bracket racing is all about consistency, why not try to have an extra edge and added confidence by knowing you are properly positioned and on the sticky part of the starting line?

I am not talking about show boating, with 3 guys on the line, but just an extra pair of eyes to help the driver at one of the most important areas of the track.

Just my , but you will never see me knock a guy for trying a little harder to win!

Scott