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They definately don't make the flow over the rear more laminar as vortex -generators encourage the opposite of smooth flow, but you may have an argument.
Also, I'm pretty sure that if they did aid the spoiler they would not increase downforce but rather decrease lift. It may be semantics, but they are two different things in my mind. A true spoiler "spoils" the lift of an object, it doesn't generate lift in the opposite direction. Decreasing lift decreases induced drag, which is good for the FE minded, and it also returns the weight of the car to the rear wheels. For example, an airplane spoiler isn't generating down force as much as its returning the aircraft's weight to the wheels for braking.
Race cars definately generate downforce, but they use airfoils rather than spoilers. When it wasn't outlawed, Lotus used a skirt and a specially shaped underside to generate a venturi effect to create downforce. On the other hand, drag racers and cars like the Porsche Carrera use spoilers.
Lastly, while those vortex-generator may not exist for FE, air drag is still an enemy of someone racing their car. While it may not help in slow maneuvers, it should help anywhere high speed runs exist.
- LostCause
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