Sign up or login to track your favorite teams

Sign Up for Bleacher Report

As a registered user you can subscribe to your favorite teams, post comments, write your own articles, and much more.

You must register in order for that functionality to work!







Validating sign up form ...

Bleacher Report articles are written by fans like you

Do you want to cover your favorite sports, teams, and leagues?

Processing writing preferences ...

Great, , you're signed up!

i.e. Big 10, LeBron James, USC Football

Selected Tags:

Logging in ...

As a NASCAR fan, how many times have you heard, "racing isn't a real sport, those drivers aren't athletes, anyone can drive fast and turn left!" Why do we as fans constantly have to defend our ...

Are NASCAR Drivers True Athletes?

by Kara Martin (Columnist)

99

2,464 reads

Opinion

October 05, 2008


As a NASCAR fan, how many times have you heard, "racing isn't a real sport, those drivers aren't athletes, anyone can drive fast and turn left!" Why do we as fans constantly have to defend our favorite pastime? 

Look up the definition of the word sport on dictionary.com and this is what you will find:
Sport, an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
Bowling....really? I find it hard to call something a sport that I get better at after a couple of pitchers of beer.
Seriously, who are we to judge what is and isn't considered sport or what makes a true athlete?
We all love to coach from the sideline or in NASCAR's case, backseat drive. We love to think that we could do better than "so and so," but the hard truth is, few of us in this world are truly gifted enough to prove it. Even 43rd place is better than most of us could ever hope to do.
The NFL season is 17 weeks long, basketball and baseball each 6 months in length. The NASCAR season is a grueling 10 months out of the year with very little downtime. Drivers and their crews are constantly on the go. Cup drivers often moonlight in the Nationwide, Truck and/or Dirt Track series, allowing little else but to eat, sleep and drive. 
Sports psychologist Dr. Jack Stark, wrote: "Football, you go hard for 15 seconds, rest 30 or 40." "Basketball, you have timeouts. You can't stop a race and get out of your car. You've been going hard for four hours and you have to have a tremendous amount of mental toughness and a tremendous amount of drive and desire to win."
While the income gives me the desire to win, I simply couldn't cut it as a NASCAR driver. Heck, my mind wanders during my 15 minute commute to work. The skill needed to rank in the top 43 is as awe inspiring as it is profitable. Aric Almirola, who as of this print was in 43rd place has earned a total of $1,033,560. In my opinion he is worth every penny!
Nice work if you can get it, but you've got to have fortitude to do so.
I fancy myself to be a bit of a daredevil, I've been to the Richard Petty Driving Experience. In no means does that make me an expert, but what I do know is that it took my brain a full 3 laps to catch up to my body that was traveling at 160 MPH. It was the same feeling that I experienced skydiving for the first time.
NASCAR is the free-fall.
Forget that a driver must maneuver a 3,600 pound car, straining to steer the wheel around curves, debris and other drivers.
Never mind the G-forces that result from the banking turns at 180-200mph causing intense pressure on the driver's torsos.
Disregard the lack of oxygen in the cockpit mixed with carbon monoxide fumes which can cause confusion and disorientation for the driver during the race.
NASCAR is the free-fall. One that lasts for 500 miles instead of a mere 9500 feet with no safety chute to soften the blow. Even the slightest mistake could prove fatal in this sport. A driver must always be aware of his car and it's surroundings. The sheer discipline and mental strength are untouchable.
To get a driver to the finish line in one piece requires absolute perfection on the crew's part. A stock car is a monster of metal and fuel, we've all seen what can happen when things go wrong.
Think of it in terms of kinetic energy.
Kinetic energy (Ek), is a measure of how much work—or damage—an object can do in motion. The more massive an object and the faster it’s moving, the more kinetic energy it has. (Ek equals one-half mass times velocity squared, to be precise.) For example, a 3600-pound stock car running at 180 mph has a kinetic energy of 3.9 million ft.-lb. If you were to catapult a 150-pound man into the air with the same energy, he would travel 5 miles.
Pretty heavy stuff!
Tell me again why NASCAR drivers aren't considered true athletes?!
Author Poll

Are NASCAR Drivers true althletes?

  • Yes
  • No
vote to see results
Author Poll Results

Are NASCAR Drivers true althletes?

  • Yes

    55.9%

  • No

    44.1%
  • Total votes: 188
Track this Article on My B/R
Flag This Article
Share This Article

99 comments Last one added 1 day ago — Leave a Comment

  1. D-Boy 9 months ago

    Excellent way to put it. And that doesn't even touch on the barely-existent power assistance on the cars - which makes it far harder to move the steering wheel than on just about any other type of vehicle on Earth.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    1
    )

    • I know it all ... 9 months ago

      No anyone can be a Nascar Driver.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      "i know it all," when can we expect you to put your money where your mouth is and see you out there?

      oh wait, i see now. you signed on to b/r four hours ago and left this comment four hours ago.

      that's all i need to know about "i know it all." as a matter of fact, that's all there is to know...

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Thanks D-Boy I appreciate your comments! It is SO much harder than it looks!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  2. Rob Tiongson 9 months ago

    I'd love to see all those people who say NASCAR is not a sport and strap them as a passenger on ANY driver who got into the crashes today at 'Dega. Or to be in Ricky Rudd's shoes ten years ago when he won at Martinsville but blistered a lot of parts of his body and was near dehydrated from a failed cooling system. These guys simply have the most keen strength to keep at it and race hard. Awesome awesome article, sis!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  3. Julianna Harrell 9 months ago

    Bravo, Kara, Bravo!

    That was an article that seem to read my mind. I've been annoyed with those same statements for years. And my answer never changes: Yes, NASCAR IS a sport and no, there is nothing you can do it about.

    I would truly love to see all the haters attempt do what these amazing drivers do every weekend; I'd bet they would fail—miserably. It's not an easy thing to accomplish and you don't have to be a NASCAR fan to see that.

    I gave your article a five and picked it as one of my favorite articles. Nice job!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  4. Crabber 1967 . 9 months ago

    Nice job Kara!
    I've heard the "not Athletes" thing since, oh, 1963, the year I attended my first Cup race.
    ...and speaking of sports, I've seen poker on ESPN! When did card playing become a sport??
    And people that SPEED Channel has gone to pot with the wrecker service show and all that other junk!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • S M Napier 9 months ago

      That's reality Television for you.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Sadly you are right about the SPEED channel. These days I only watch it for NASCAR coverage, I can do without most of the rest of it. I am right with you on the poker thing, definitely NOT a sport. I would consider Skee-Ball a more challenging "sport" than cards!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  5. Jen Preston 9 months ago

    Awesome piece, Kara! I've been hearing that NASCAR isn't a sport and that the drivers aren't athletes for... well, my whole life. I'd like to see a football or baseball player get into one of the cars for a race and lose eight to ten pounds and run competively- not going to happen. Great job!!

    And Crabber... ugh, I totally agree with you on the wrecker show. What the crap is up with that?!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • S M Napier 9 months ago

      Agree with you Jen, the NFL may have a few that could do it, and probably just Julio Franco could do it from baseball.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Thanks Jen! Those players seriously could not handle squeezing into a stock car and race for hours. I think that everyone should try it for themselves, then they will know what it really takes to be a NASCAR athlete!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  6. Mary Jo Buchanan 9 months ago

    Right on sister!!!!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  7. Steven Resnick 9 months ago

    In no way shape or form is a Nascar racer an athlete. Here's the simplest way to put it. Everything an athlete does on a football field, baseball diamond, basketball court, tennis court, hockey rink, bowling alley, etc....Is controlled by the person doing the work. If a football player wants to get open a machine doesn't take them there, they have to run out there to get to that spot. In Nascar the car does the work. That's why racing is a sport it's the person doing it not a machine. Do you suppose they should make remote control car racing a sport too?

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      How is driving a car not controlled by the person doing the work. Everything that is going on in that car is controlled by the driver. I personally would love to have a car that did all of the work for me.

      I agree that the car is the main focus of NASCAR, it has to be in peak condition, but it is the driver that has to control what that car is doing. That requires an amount of skill that goes far beyond buckling up and cruising at 55 MPH down the highway.

      Just look at all of those inexperienced illegal street racers, many think it's so easy to get in and drive really fast without any safety gear or knowledge. I've been on the scene of those accidents and it isn't pretty.

      I respect your opinion, I know that not everyone shares my views. There was a time when I thought that NASCAR was just a bunch of good ol' boys driving fast and turning left. After going to many races, researching he sport and actually getting into a stock car for the ride of my, life my attitude changed on the subject.

      I certainly do not think that remote control cars should be a sport, but maybe those remote control boats, that could be awesome! HA! ;)

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • L.J. Burgess 9 months ago

      Although I tend to agree...you started well but you totally blew it half way through. I really suggest some hands on research.

      Your reasoning is borderline goofy.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Who's reasoning is borderline goofy, mine or Steven's? I already know that I am borderline goofy! =)

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Bryn Swartz 9 months ago

      Steven is right. There's no way it's a sport. If you can be 50 years old and your age doesn't matter, it's not a sport. A sport shouldn't have 50-year-olds competing.

      And just because something is very hard and challenging to do, doesn't mean it's a sport. I couldn't learn rocket science. Rocket scientists are not athletes. I can respect what they have to do. But I don't think it's a sport.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      1
      )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      thanks bryn, for the laugh. i haven't heard such fallacious reasoning since, well, ever i think. wait, i'm pretty sure i've heard arguments close to as illogical and based upon suppositions and analogies that didn't fit as badly as yours don't, just never so succinctly. but i give you credit for trying. you made the bold logical move and missed, but you deserve credit for at least trying.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  8. Jared Lilly 9 months ago

    Beautifully put. Almost tear jerking even. Every since I moved to the Compton of the East Coast, suspicously called Hampton, I've had to defend NASCAR as a sport and the drivers as athletes. The AMP commercial with Dale Jr. helped, 800 pounds of force in every turn is in majority of my arguments. Good job!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Thanks Jared! I grew up in your neck of the woods in Virginia Beach during high school, so I know exactly where you are coming from. Like you I am also a Cowboys fan, it is tough living in DC with that big blue star on your back. It's like a bullseye! That Amp commercial is a great representation of how much force the drivers put up with on each turn!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Jared Lilly 9 months ago

      Yeah, it was a switch, I grew up in WV and everyone loved NASCAR, and then came to Newport News and people are like, you can race cars?

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • L.J. Burgess 9 months ago

      That's goofy too...there's a helluva lot of racing in your area and Ricky Rudd was born and raised there...there used to be tracks all over that area.

      wtf?

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Jared Lilly 9 months ago

      Sorry, I was a little to vague. My generation really, the older people get around here, the more appreciativ they are. But the only legitimate track around here is Langley Speedway, but even thats quite a drive.

      but people of my age in the area seem to think it aint a sport unless theres 3 crack addicts and other convicts are involved

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Crabber 1967 . 9 months ago

      Hey there welcome to Hampton!
      {Think about my 'handle' for a moment.}
      RE: Langley Speedway, just like most local tracks, the knowledge of the locals is influenced by the local media. TV takes no interest in Langley [event when the Grand National {now Cup}Series was in town back in the 60's and 70's] but the Daily Press had a Hall of Fame writer in Al Pierce, now retired. The new guy at the DP tries, but it will take a while for him to get the whole thing, IMHO.

      Ricky Rudd, in fact took his test drive of Bill Champion's #10 Ford at Langley. And a career was born.

      If you think being a Stock Car Fan is tough, what about us Drag Racers? The only time the words "drag racing" is used is when they talk about Street Racing!
      You would have loved the old Suffolk Raceway! "Quarter Mile, Concrete Style!" [drag racing that is!]

      NEWPORT NEWS is the Compton of the East.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  9. Long John Silver 9 months ago

    its called the G

    try driving at G's that they do - and see if your body holds

    ofcourse they are true athletes

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  10. Alan Bass 9 months ago

    Yeah, poker is not a sport. NASCAR and auto racing is more a sport than many others, including possibly baseball. You need to have such mental focus and be in peak physical condition to be a NASCAR driver.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      poker isn't a sport? then why the heck do they keep clogging up espn2—a sports network—with the "world series" of poker all night long. someone should do something about that!!! when i grow up i want to be just as fit and in shape as those guys at the table... oh wait, i'm already in that kind of shape...

      ;-)

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Exactly!!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  11. Jonathan Lintner 9 months ago

    I wrote something similar for a NASCAR site I submit to. We took a similar approach in naming the non-athletic sports that are considered sports.

    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/08/091308Lintner.asp

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  12. L.J. Burgess 9 months ago

    I disagree in the classic sense but I couldn't even begin to defend my stance in the commentary.

    Perhaps in the cold of winter I'll take a stab at a rebuttal.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  13. Thomas 9 months ago

    I'm gonna be a villian and say that NASCAR is NOT a sport. any sport in which you just drive around and around for hours is not a sport. in NASCAR, the person does nothing but make judgement calls and drive. he doesnt get physically fit at all.

    and since we're on this topic, horse racing isnt a sport either...and bowling is more like a game not a sport.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Thomas 9 months ago

      however, i am giving this a potd and 5 starz for great writing

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • S M Napier 9 months ago

      Goggle Mark martin, the guys 49 years old and bet he's in better shape than you are at eighteen.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Thomas 9 months ago

      and how do u know that?

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Thank you Thomas, I appreciate you POTD VERY much! I knew this article would spark a little debate, that was one of the reasons that I wrote it. While I do not agree with you, I respect your views on the subject.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Marc Boland 9 months ago

      You're not a villain, just misguided.

      You claim a driver "does nothing but make judgement calls and drive."

      The American College of Sports Medicine begs to differ via a study they conduced on race drivers.

      Study suggests oxygen consumption and heart rate of professional drivers similar to athletes in traditional sport settings.

      RE:

      QUOTE
      "Professional drivers have enhanced their health and fitness in order to gain the competitive edge," said lead author, Patrick Jacobs, Ph.D., FACSM. "We were able to match the science with the drivers on the tracks where they compete and confirm that they are well-conditioned athletes with cardiorespiratory fitness comparable to other elite athletes."

      The two driving assessments (road course and speedway) were performed with lap speed gradually increased and then maintained at driving velocities at or near competition-level speed for several laps (115-121 mph on road course; 202-211 mph on speedway course). During the driving test sessions, the drivers were outfitted with portable equipment that allowed continuous assessment of heart rate and oxygen consumption. Drivers assessed their own rate of perceived exertion (RPE) that corresponded to their greatest effort, following the Borg numeric scale that categorizes exertion levels ranging from very, very light (6) to somewhat hard (13) to very, very hard (20).

      Between two and seven days after the second driving assessment, each driver completed a treadmill stress test to determine their maximal values of oxygen consumption and heart rate. Subjects again determined their RPE, which produced peak responses of 18 or greater. The maximal oxygen consumption values attained on the treadmill tests were similar to those previously reported for professional football, baseball, and basketball players.
      UNQUOTE

      For those with short attention spans... here's the last line again:

      The maximal oxygen consumption values attained on the treadmill tests were similar to those previously reported for professional football, baseball, and basketball players.

      Case closed!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  14. Steven Resnick 9 months ago

    I don't think I've ever heard of anyone saying I want to look like a Nascar driver. I've heard I wish I was taller so I could play basketball, I wish I was bigger so I could play football, etc.....I just don't consider them athletes.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  15. Steven Resnick 9 months ago

    I wouldn't trust dictionary.com an excellent source for the definition of a sport. Fishing isn't a sport either.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      which dictionary would you suggest then? webster's, american heritage, and many others have very similar definitions:

      Sport: 1a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. b. A particular form of this activity. 2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively. 3. An active pastime; recreation.

      Athlete: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

      which part of these definitions does nascar and its drivers not fit? driving a car at such high speeds under extreme conditions for hundreds of miles over four or five hours requires strength, agility, AND stamina and the definition from webster's only requires one of the above, denoted by the word "or."

      i don't see anything in there about participants engaged in such having to fulfill a requirement that people have to want to look like one...

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • J.C. Hagan 9 months ago

      All dictionaries have their problems because there's a (now relatively-archaic) definition of "sport" that is basically just fishing, hunting, etc., and another use of it that refers to "recreations of the mostly upper-class," which makes things like billiards, bowling, bocce, badminton, polo, fox hunting, etc. "sport."

      This is why there are a slew of "sportsmen's clubs" around that have nothing to do with basketball or football.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  1. Shyam Parthasarathi 9 months ago

    This is a great article.. the first I've read about NASCAR..

    But, I'm sorry - I don't understand how it's considered to be a sport. I'm going with Steven's line of thinking - the fact that a car is involved really, for me, doesn't make it a sport - I somehow have never got how F1 is considered a sport..

    These are Motor Sports.. but sports per se? I really am not convinced.

    But, you almost had me convinced there - so, great article!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Thanks Shyam! Keep reading, maybe I'll convert you into being a NASCAR fan just yet!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Marc Boland 9 months ago

      Well then, to follow your logic, baseball isn't a sport, it uses a bat. Cricket, same thing they use a bat.

      What's a high jumper without a bar? A football player without a ball?

      The apparatus used doesn't define whether an activity is a sport or whether its participants are athletes, the individual participating does.

      To follow-up with someone else's non-sense about "50 year old" players being involved in NASCAR make in somehow a non-sport....

      Satchel Paige (59), Hoyt Wilhelm (56), Phil Niekro (48) and Nolan Ryan (46) all played and were successfull well into what many call their "middle-age," does that make baseball a "non-sport?"

      What about hockey, Gordiw Howe played to the "ripe" old age of 52. Guess it's a non-sport huh

      Tennis anyone? Martina Navratilova... at the age of 48, in her first singles performance in eight years beat world number 22 Tatiana Panova, the next year Navratilova won the mixed doubles titles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, partnering Leander Paes.

      Tennis a non-sport because "older players" compete? Someone in this thread thinks so, but they are SADLY misguided.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Shyam Parthasarathi 9 months ago

      Fair enough..

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  2. M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

    although he's not my favorite author of all time, and the quote is actually not even his, i'll answer with the hemingway-esque quote, "There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games." in those three, the athletes involved actually put their lives on the line every time they "suit up."

    although i don't agree that they are the only sports, i think the sentiment expressed is right on the mark. yes, it is true that someone with tony stewart's diet and physique can excel at auto racing, but because he doesn't fit the standard "template" of athleticism in terms of his physical conditioning, it makes him no less an athlete, in my not-so-humble opinion.

    moreover, drivers nowadays are finding it more advantageous to be in better shape. i don't pretend to know much about F1, but i'd bet most of those drivers are pretty darn athletic, and they don't even have to wrestle with a 3200 pound beast for four hours. most of what they do is more technological, but the physical forces they must endure makes those nascar drivers endure pale by comparison.

    i don't consider many olympic events "sports" but because i don't think so doesn't make it anything more than "the gospel according to m brian," and that only applies to me and people who think like me. unfortunately, no matter how well written an article or how fine a debater you may be, there will always be misanthropes who are convinced that they hold the rights to the definition of the words "sport" and "athlete" and will listen to no other arguments. in my book, that's their loss.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  3. S M Napier 9 months ago

    Great Job Kara on this one, five stars and POTD. Agree with you that it's a sport, they put their lives on the line racing and they all are in excellent shape or they wouldn't survive in the sport. Let me add, I've talked to a few of the sports fans at my work who don't think it's a sport and it comes down to the huge fanbase and coverage NASCAR gets these days that they have problems with.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      are you saying that your colleagues then don't believe football is a sport then, as it has a huge fan base (look at how many football writers and their page views there are on here alone) and gets even more coverage than NASCAR? to them i would say, "jealous much?"

      i'll never understand why fans of other sports believe they have a monopoly on the term.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  4. Steven Resnick 9 months ago

    Being suicidal doesn't count as a sport. If so then does flying an airplane count as a sport? They move faster then a race car! Nascar is not a sport.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      as a matter of fact, red bull air racing is considered a sport by many, but i'm sure you'll disagree. they even have a "world series." it's described at http://www.esparacing.com/sport_pilot/red_bull.htm

      check it out then write an article on how it's not a sport. i'll read it and maybe even comment on it.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      Ummm...what does suicide have to do with anything? Hunting and shooting are considered sports.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  5. Steven Resnick 9 months ago

    M Brian none of the definitions you provided does Nascar fall under. Making sure you turn a steering wheel to the left or right for 4-5 hours doesn't need agility or athleticism it just requires someone to pay attention.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  6. Steven Resnick 9 months ago

    M Brian none of the definitions you provided does Nascar fall under. Making sure you turn a steering wheel to the left or right for 4-5 hours doesn't need agility or athleticism it just requires someone to pay attention.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      first, "reply to comment" so i know when you've responded. i just happened to check and saw your new comments. otherwise, i would have never known how you really felt. i was losing sleep wondering.

      second, thank you for proving my point from my main response, which i shall repeat here:

      "unfortunately, no matter how well written an article or how fine a debater you may be, there will always be misanthropes who are convinced that they hold the rights to the definition of the words "sport" and "athlete" and will listen to no other arguments."

      i'm not going to convince you of anything and i'm not going to try. your mind was made up before you ever clicked on the link to this article, and a closed mind is simply impossible to open without the permission of the owner.

      finally, i'll close with one of my favorite quotes:

      "There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation."—Herbert Spencer

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  7. Rob Tiongson 9 months ago

    Well in my opinon, NASCAR is a sport...it requires concentration, strength, mental discipline, stamina...nowdays, do you see any out of shape drivers in the sport? Gone are the days of the homely racers like the burly Junior Johnson and Jimmy Spencer and now we see more fit, muscular guys like Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, and others who are leading the fray with these drivers who are so strong, they could probably participate in other stick and ball sports.

    Sure, they get a mechanical edge and all with engines and all, but it's a sport that demands discipline. Any of these stick and ball fans who think it's merely just about turning left for 4 hours should definitely ask any racer to let them do their job for one Sunday afternoon. I bet their opinion would change drastically.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  8. Craig Swartz 9 months ago

    I don't really care if it is or isn't a sport, I find it wretchedly boring to sit and watch cars go in circles. No, I couldn't do it but I don't care. It's boring! It's about the car first and the driver second. I don't care, it's boring. Btw, the acronym ESPN stands for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. Key word being entertainment. No, poker isn't a sport, it's entertainment (to some people not me). Good article, however I find racing boring. Oh, sorry I think I said that already......

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      i stand corrected. to be honest, i never actually knew what the "E" in ESPN stood for, but i mistakenly assumed from all the sports on it that it was a sports network. i guess all those episodes of "sportscenter" they show almost unendingly threw me off. but you are correct, "e" is for entertainment and poker fits that bill, at least for poker fans. thank you for enlightening me.

      that's what i like about b/r, i can learn something new every day, whether i want to or not... ;-)

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Crabber 1967 . 9 months ago

      Very true that ESPN stands for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network; however they added the "E" when they found out that another cable channel [probably defunct now] was already using SPN which was their first choice for a name.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  9. Long John Silver 9 months ago

    picking it - forgot to pick it yesterday - loved it K - cheers

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  10. Raider Card Addict 9 months ago

    Actually, I'd stick NASCAR in there with Hockey. Better before they dumbed it down.
    Restrictor plates took the fun of trying to fly out of the competition, and the rules, plus this chase for the cup, took the teeth out of NASCAR.....then again, i'm also an old school Bill Elliot fan. Couldn't go wrong with the original Coors car.
    However, I'd say Bowling works as a sport, similar to Racing, for the same reasons. You are in control of your own score, your own drive. Only thing is, in Bowling they won't let you put your opponent down the lane when you're leading for some reason. Of course, there's also the original meaning for NASCAR:
    Non
    Athletic
    Sport
    Centered
    Around
    Rednecks

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • L.J. Burgess 9 months ago

      Nobody's busting your chops for being a raider fan...why would you throw an acronym like that in the mix?

      Why? I want to know and I want to know now.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Raider Card Addict 9 months ago

      Pretty simple, LJ.
      Top 20 Redneck moments highlighted it.
      If you think about where Racing has it's start, in the moonshine running days, it wasn't originally considered a sport, but more of a way to keep from being locked up.
      I can understand some people think there's a lot of control involved, but as well, a lot of it isn't even in the car driver's hands. Seriously, when was the last time you saw Jeff Gordon hop out, change his own oil, change his own tires, wipe off his windshield, and replace his hood?

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  11. Ellen B. 9 months ago

    Could it be a sport but not athletic in the traditional sense?

    In most other sports, people are using their bodies to put the ball in motion, themselves in motion, or opponents in motion, creating the motion directly through physical exertion. Whereas in racing it's more like skydiving or shooting a gun, fishing or riding a horse, where something else (gravity, a car engine) is generating the motion that's the dominant part of the activity, and your job is to steer or react to the forces involved.

    I think that's why there's such a controversy. It's direct vs. indirect effort. Even with a bat or bowling ball, which are essentially toolsl, 100% of the tool's movement is still dependent on the muscles and body wielding it. A car (or even a horse) is a power tool.

    For the record, I horseback ride, and think of it as a sport... but not exactly athletics in the traditional sense, because while it certainly takes strength and physical skill to hang on and guide a horse, the horse has to do the jumping.

    I guess it comes down to semantics. Perhaps we should just ignore the athletic vs. nonathletic debate and put it this way: some people prefer direct to indirect physical sports.

    As for poker, that's not a sport. It's a game, like Jeopardy or American Idol. I suppose it falls under "E", but most of us don't find it entertaining either.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  12. Thomas Brown 9 months ago

    this is downright sickening

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  13. Jason Cottier 9 months ago

    Sport yes...athlete no

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  14. Iceman 9 months ago

    My Grandma can sit on her ass for 3 hours driving around a big circle, is she a athlete too?

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • L.J. Burgess 9 months ago

      She...nor you...can do it in a Stock Car during a race.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      If she can do it at 180+ miles per hour with 42 other cars beating and banging against her 3200 pound monster of a machine while maintaining control, then sure. Just remind me never to buy a car if the salesman tells me it was only driven on Sundays by a little old lady from Pasadena (or Fontana ;-).

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  15. Michael Prather 9 months ago

    I can be skinny as a stick and drive a car. You don't need muscles to drive a car, Carl edwards should spend more time focusing on winning than working out

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • M Brian Ladner 9 months ago

      So being skinny as a stick and being able to compete means that something isn't a sport and its participants are not athletes? I tend to think that those who run marathons would disagree vehemently, or at least as vehemently as they could after running non-stop for hours at paces you or i couldn't keep up with for five minutes...

      And contrary to popular belief, you do need muscles to drive a car--even you and I do. Whether you need huge arm muscles and six-pack abs, however, is another question. i'm sure it helps, but isn't necessary. Kyle Busch doesn't look like the healthiest guy on the planet most days--quite the opposite actually--but his reflexes, his agility, his hand-eye coordination, his stamina, and his ability to withstand the G forces generated by wheeling a car around a track under control at the speeds they run for as long as they run them makes him an athlete in my book.

      Next someone will say they are too short or too fat to be athletes, and we'll have to pull out Spud Webb and Babe Ruth (and most any lineman) and ask if they athletes or not... ;-)

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  1. Michael Prather 9 months ago

    Driving a car and running are COMPLETELY different things...wow And you actually linemen need to be fat/big and Football is a sport and everyone who plays it are athletes..weak arguement

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  2. Daniel Muth 9 months ago

    Are NASCAR drivers true athletes? To answer the question in the title: no they aren't. Is NASCAR a sport? Yes it is. Sport and athleticism are not necessary requisite of the same activities. By the arguments made here, video game aficionados are athletes, as are politicians, mathematicians, chess players, and damn near anyone that has a skill in anything. Skill and athleticism are not the same thing. Most sports require some combination of both. Some sports favor athleticism completely such as track and field, some are blends of the two such as basketball, whereas some almost completely favor skill, such as NASCAR. Are SOME NASCAR drivers athletes? Probably. But being athletic in general talks to a persons ability to excel in a number of activities based on pure physicality outside of the mechanizations of an automobile. Athleticism translates across sporting boundaries whereas skill is more often sport specific. For example, an athletic wide-out in football will still be an athletic outfielder in baseball. Whether he can hit a curveball (a skill) is a different story. Most average Joe's have the musculature necessary to drive at a high level, whereas the same cannot be said for most other professional sports. Average Joe's however, DON'T have the incredible amount of skill, and mental fortitude, to drive at a high level. Whenever we make lists of the most athletic players in professional sports, even NASCAR enthusiasts don't put Carl Edwards on the top of the list. This implies that there is something else we look for in an athlete (outside the characterization of simply participating in "sport"). Blind definitions in an online dictionary are poor evidence of how a word is actually applied in real life. I have a great respect for the incredible skill of NASCAR drivers, and they are obviously participating in sport. But athleticism is not a prerequisite for the driving, whereas the same cannot be said in a professional sport such as basketball, football, etc.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • James Turner 2 days ago

      Well that's a load of bull. Carl Edwards posts footage no his site of of his annual 250 bike trip to Gateway International for the 200 mile race there.

      @ Martinsville in the Subway 500 of '07 the #99 Ford's alternator caughs out before 100 laps are in the book. Carl can tell this by in the maybe 7 seconds that he's in the straitaway by the fact that the batteries are low on volts, so Carl relays this info to Crew Chief Bob Osborne. Bob Osborne's job is to get the car to work mechanically make the car driveable. Bob comes on the radio & tells Carl to shut off the fan that feeds his helmet with cooled air, to turn off the fans that allow the 1400 degree brakes to slow the car, & the fans to the rear brake that help the car to turn. As a result, Carl was forced to pump the ALREADY NON ASSISTED BRAKES in the strait away to allow the fluid to cool & for the car to slow for the turn. That day it was only about 95 degrees outside, the engine makes the driver compartment only about 140 degrees & rules & comon sense says it's a good idea to wear 3 layers incase of a fire. Coupled with the essentially manual steering & 1000 turns....................

      Carl drove the #99 Oddice Depot Ford to finish 11th of 43 that day.

      ................Carl is ONE HELL of an athlete

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

      • Daniel Muth 2 days ago

        "Carl can tell this by in the maybe 7 seconds that he's in the straitaway by the fact that the batteries are low on volts"

        This is skill. I'm in no way saying this isn't amazing, but his athletic ability has nothing to do with it. It's more about his intuition and awareness.

        "Carl was forced to pump the ALREADY NON ASSISTED BRAKES"

        This is also a skill. Also a remarkable feat but not particularly athletic. Any number of people could physically do this, but very few could do it correctly.

        I will never argue that top notch racers aren't highly skilled, but I don't see any evidence from what you printed above that would suggest athleticism.

        It's all just word-play anyway. Obviously we have different definitions of what an athlete truly is.

        Edit Comment Cancel

        Reply
        Great Comment (
        0
        )

  3. Chris Copeland 9 months ago

    No

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  4. Matt Eurich 9 months ago

    Great read - I get in this argument with my friends all the time. I feel that NASCAR drivers get such a toll taken on their bodies through all of this, how can it not be a sport?

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  5. Crabber 1967 . 9 months ago

    Of course ALL professional race drivers are athletes!
    That includes NASCAR.
    Try driving around with the windows up and the heater going full blast for 4 to 5 hours and then add all the G's of the circle track.

    Here's an interesting tidbit for you [my Dad worked at N.A.S.A. Langley] when the space program was compiling stress information to set up their astronaut program, one of the things they did was put monitoring equipment on NASCAR drivers at Daytona.

    BTW if anyone thinks drivers aren't athletic check out Carl Edwards above and know that Mark Martin is in the same physical shape!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Michael Prather 9 months ago

      Ok so you're saying that people who get hot in a car are athletes? My fat ass Dad drives in a car that has its' air conditioning off because it doesn't work so I guess he's an athlete?

      And just because you have an athletic body doesn't mean you're an athlete. For example, there are Cops out there who are jacked does that mean they're athletes? Absolutely not
      1 or 2 drivers in Nascar may have an athletic body but they don't alone define ALL drivers athletes...
      For the record, I do recognize NASCAR as a sport, I just don't define drivers as athletes. I don't mean offense to anyone

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Michael Prather 9 months ago

      Ok so you're saying that people who get hot in a car are athletes? My fat ass Dad drives in a car that has its' air conditioning off because it doesn't work so I guess he's an athlete?

      And just because you have an athletic body doesn't mean you're an athlete. For example, there are Cops out there who are jacked does that mean they're athletes? Absolutely not
      1 or 2 drivers in Nascar may have an athletic body but they don't alone define ALL drivers athletes...
      For the record, I do recognize NASCAR as a sport, I just don't define drivers as athletes. I don't mean offense to anyone

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  6. Michael Prather 9 months ago

    Sorry for the double post I think it got bugged

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Crabber 1967 . 9 months ago

      Michael:
      If I may reply to your comment to my earlier comment, I will use a quote from one of M. Brian's posts above:

      There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation."—Herbert Spencer

      ...and to M. Brian: I liked the quote above so much that I saved it to my collection of Quotes on my computer. Thanks!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Kara Martin 9 months ago

      M Brian & Crabber, that is indeed an incredible, powerful quote and oh so true, especially in this arguement!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  7. Michael Prather 9 months ago

    Nope

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  8. Steven Resnick 8 months ago

    Now this is my definition of an athlete
    http://www.lotoflaughs.com/index_file/funny-pics/sexy-fat-tennis-player.jpg

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  9. Steven Resnick 8 months ago

    In all seriousness Carl Edwards can't compare to Patrick Willis
    http://aycu29.webshots.com/image/15308/2004131155237382844_rs.jpg

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  10. Lola Judd 8 months ago

    NASCAR drivers are less of athletes than rally drivers in the WRC.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  11. James Turner 2 days ago

    Okay here's the breakdown:

    Steet cars have a speed limit with a working speedometer................stock cars aren't allowed to run a speedometer but still must NOT speed on pit road (or recieve a penalty) & while on track must meet a minimal speed or be forced to not compete.

    Street car travels at "X" speed requiring "E" steering effort with "2A" steering assist..............stock car traveling an "2X" speed requiring "4E" steering effort with "A" steering assist. some races have as many as 1000 turns.

    Street cars have power brakes...............stock cars have two master cylinders so there's no possibility.

    Street cars have an elecrtonically controlled (only type existing) Anti-Lock Brake System to help the driver keep control of the car as it is being slowed/stopped........................a stock car isn't allowed to run an onboard computer, so to avoid wrecking with another wrecked, car many times a driver must pulse & sometime entirely lift off the brake pedal(just a little scary) to maintain control.

    A street car has a fuel level gague tied to a float sensor in the tank to tell you when to refuel it............................ the 18.5 gallon tank of a Sprint Cup Series vehicle is MANDATED by NASCAR to be filled with foam to reduce fuel spilled in the event of a rollover or impact, so there is NO WAY to tell exactly how much fuel the car's cell contains, fuel mileage is calculated by the Crew Chief, Car Chief, Engine Tuner/Specialist, The GasCan Man & the CatchCan Man.

    A street car has built in climate control..........................in a stock car not so, drivers wear an extra 2 layer TO TOP OF their street clothes even when it's 95 degrees out side because fire is even hotter. Inside look forward to a nice & toasty 140 degree driver's compartment for there is little to NO insulatoin to separate the engine compartment. Drivers have been known to lose as much as 15 POUNDS during a race & you can forget about A/C. & on tracks larger than 1 mile in length a right side window is MANDITORY. No car is allowed to run without one installed. & GOD FORBID the cooling system DOES break & the car can still run, the driver is expected to suffer through it.

    Drivers are expected to last in the car for as much as 5 hours without a break longer than about one minute for every hour.........& that's just on race day.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

Leave a Comment

  • You must register to post a comment.

    • Want to write for Bleacher Report

    We are a community of fans who write about sports. And we're growing.

    Learn More and Sign Up »

    Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Getty Images.
    Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited.