Starting with the 2023 Season 3 deployment the iRacing Spotter and Crew Chief (SPCC) will give drivers more messaging to keep drivers up-to-date on the race around them. These new messages include:
Damage and Repair Reports [New for Season 4, 2023!]
How it Works:
The SPCC will give the user details about what parts of the car have been damaged. If only a few areas are damaged they will be listed.
When the user tows, the SPCC will give the user the times for both required and optional repairs while the car is being towed. Additionally, the crew chief will give you an estimate of the amount of damage that will remain after the crew repairs everything they can.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportCarConditionEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
A keybind option has been added to request a damage report. This does not have a default binding and must be configured manually using the in-sim options menu.
Race Incidents [New for Season 4, 2023!]
How it Works:
The SPCC will tell the user when more than 2x incident points are received by a car either just ahead of you, just behind you, or is the leader of your class. This is only reported on paved road courses.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportIncidentsEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
Strength of Field [New for Season 4, 2023!]
How it Works:
The SPCC will tell the user the strength of field for an official session when the driver joins the grid along with some brief insight based on your position within the field.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportGriddingSOFEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
Motivational Near-Race-End Messages [New for Season 4, 2023!]
How it Works:
The SPCC will give you positive reinforcement when announcing that the end of the race is close. These will take into account your current position and qualifying position.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportNearEndMotivationEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
New Personal Best Lap
How it Works:
The SPCC will report when the user sets a new session personal best lap time. This call will only happen during Testing, Time Attack, Practice, Warmup, and Race. The SPCC will not make this call during Qualifying. This call is disabled for the first 3 laps of the session as the field gets up to pace and spreads out. If the user has lap time/lap speed reporting enabled then this message will be appended to it.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportLapsNewPersonalBestEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option entirely.
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportLapsNewPersonalBestInRaceEnabled allows for having this call enabled in the above noted sessions but disabled in race.
New Overall Fast Lap
How it Works:
Anytime a new fastest lap within the user's class is set the SPCC will report the position of the new fastest lap holder. This call will only happen during Testing, Time Attack, Practice, Warmup, and Race. The SPCC will not make this call during Qualifying. This call is disabled for the first 3 laps of the session as the field gets up to pace and spreads out.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportLapsNewBestEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option entirely.
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportLapsNewBestLapTimeEnabled allows for having the SPCC report the new fastest lap time along with the other information.
Gap to Car Ahead or Behind
How it Works:
The SPCC will report to the user when the car in the position immediately ahead or behind the user is within 1 to 10 seconds. If the opponent in the observation window has a substantial closing speed on the user, or vice-versa, then the spotter will update the user with the current delta.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportGainingLosingEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
Leader Lap Times
How it Works:
The SPCC will tell the user every 6 laps the leader's most recent laptime. This message will be sent when the leader crosses the start/finish line and will not be sent if the user is the leader.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportLapsLeaderLapTimeEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
Pit Notification
How it Works:
The SPCC will tell the user when the car immediately ahead or behind the player, or the leader, enters pit lane. This message will not play when the car is less than 3 seconds away from the player car .
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportCompetitorPitEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
Lead Change
How it Works:
The SPCC will report when the leader of the race has changed. This will happen when the new leader crosses the start finish line and will only happen after the 3rd lap of the race.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportNewLeaderEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
Lapping Traffic Alert
How it Works:
The SPCC will tell the user when lapping traffic, or traffic from a faster class, is approaching them.
Configuration:
App.ini -> [SPCC] -> reportFasterCarBehindEnabled allows for enabling or disabling this option.
Time Remaining
How it Works:
The SPCC will tell the user when there are 20, 10, and 5 minutes remaining in a race session.
Hush Button
How it Works:
The user can bind a key to temporarily silence the SPCC. When the button is pressed it will immediately stop all currently playing SPCC messages and mute them for the next 30 seconds.
Configuration:
Options -> Sound -> Silence Spotter allows for binding a key to this functionality.