Sweeper

A sweeper in motorsport refers to either a long, high-speed corner on a racetrack or an official vehicle that follows competitors in rally events to ensure course safety and collect timing information.

When talking about racetracks, a sweeper is a type of turn that drivers love because they can maintain high speeds while navigating it. Unlike tight hairpin turns that force cars to slow down dramatically, sweepers have a large radius and gentle curve that allows racers to "sweep" through at speed. Think of it like the difference between making a sharp 90-degree turn in a parking lot versus following a highway on-ramp curve.

Famous sweeper corners include Turn 6 at Circuit of the Americas in Texas and Turn 14 at Road America in Wisconsin. These corners test a driver's ability to find the perfect racing line while balancing throttle control and steering input. The key to mastering a sweeper is maintaining smooth, controlled movements rather than making sudden adjustments.

In rally racing, a sweeper refers to something completely different - it's an official support vehicle with important responsibilities. The sweeper car travels the entire rally route after all competitors have passed through, essentially "sweeping up" behind the field to ensure everything runs smoothly.

The rally sweeper car performs several critical jobs during an event. First, it confirms that all competing cars have safely completed each stage of the rally, checking for any vehicles that may have broken down or crashed along the way. The crew also collects official paperwork from timing officials at each checkpoint, including time cards and damage reports.

You can easily identify a sweeper car at rally events by looking for a single checkered flag displayed on the door panel. The sweeper crew maintains constant radio contact with rally headquarters, reporting any incidents or problems they encounter while following the complete competition route, including both the timed special stages and the regular road sections between them.