Joe White was driving a friend’s motorhome on Wednesday towards Talladega Superspeedway, where the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race is scheduled to take place this Sunday, when he received a phone call he had anticipated all week. On the line was Chris Rice, CEO of Kaulig Racing, who informed White that he was being let go from his role as spotter for Kaulig driver Ty Dillon, effective immediately.
“I got fired. I got let go from my position,” White shared with The Athletic. While he expressed disappointment, he noted that he was not surprised by the news, having suspected his departure for some time. White, who has been spotting at the Cup level since 2018, stated that he had been informed weeks prior that he would not return as spotter for the No. 10 Kaulig Cup car next season. He also mentioned that he had been anticipating a spotter role for one of Kaulig’s Truck Series teams in 2026, which has now also been terminated; however, he confirmed that he would still be compensated until his contract ends at the year’s conclusion.
Following the announcement, Frank Deiny has been named the new spotter for Dillon’s No. 10 car at Talladega, having previously served as a spotter for A.J. Allmendinger, Dillon’s teammate. T.J. Bell will be the new spotter for Allmendinger’s No. 16 car.
When contacted in the evening, Rice declined to comment on White but confirmed the new driver-spotter pairings. “We just decided to move forward with three races to go to get those guys used to each other,” Rice stated.
These changes come on the heels of a significant incident during last Sunday’s playoff race at Las Vegas. During that race, Dillon’s actions inadvertently caused a crash involving championship contender William Byron, leading to substantial consequences for both drivers. Byron, who was in second place, rear-ended Dillon’s car as Dillon veered left towards pit road, dismissing the notion that he could see Dillon signal for a pit stop. The collision damaged both vehicles, eliminating them from the race. While Byron had a chance to secure a spot in the Championship 4 race with a win, the crash left him trailing 15 points below the cutline, complicating his path as the semifinals draw to a close.
Post-incident evaluations showed that Byron did not see any signals from Dillon indicating he was pitting. “I had zero idea,” he lamented. Dillon, meanwhile, stated that he believed Byron was too far back to perceive any hand signals and that White had communicated the pit stop intention to Byron’s spotter, Brandon Lines.
As the drama unfolds within the NASCAR context, the sport continues to emphasize the importance of communication and the critical role spotters play in ensuring safety and performance on the racetrack. While the challenges are significant, both teams and drivers are hopeful that these changes can lead to better coordination and improved outcomes in future races.