Created for each event weekend, INDYCAR's spotter guides feature detailed illustrations of each car in the field to help fans and guests stay on top of all the on-track action. Point standings, scanner frequencies, storylines, schedules, twitter handles, and other info help fans stay informed at each venue INDYCAR visits. This piece has evolved from a small, simple guide for ever-changing paint schemes into a bigger, more robust piece over the last several years.
INDYCAR liveries change often, so updating the illustrations can be a time-consuming task, especially for a race like the Indianapolis 500 where there are more cars, more one-off sponsors, and more special paint schemes. These are always down to the wire, with the latest info coming in from teams the same day the illustrations are being updated. On a typical week, final art might go to press on a Monday at 5pm (to include updated points and storylines that after the previous weekend's race) to be pre-pressed, printed (and dried), cut, packed, shipped, distributed, and in hands at the track (sometimes across the country) by the following Friday morning -- at the latest.
Any updates that come in after the proofing stage are reflected in the online version of the spotter guide, available on indycar.com as a printable PDF.
Front panel of spotter guide -- driver headshots, car illustration, engine manufacturer logos, country flags, driver names, team names, scanner frequencies, points standings, twitter handles...multiply that by 24 or 26 cars and there is a ton of info to track and keep up-to-date from race to race.
Detail of front panel.
Inside spread of spotter guide -- Firestone "Fast Fact," a photo and storylines leading into the weekend, ads, and current top-five point standings.
