Is NASCAR really a sport?

Question

Is NASCAR a sport or does it really stand for Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks?

Answer 1

In general, I would definitely say motor racing is a sport - a sport is not just about a ball. Many racing drivers withstand incredible pressures/forces on their bodies and a greatly elevated heart-rate for hours at a time - unlike most team sports where they go out on the court/field/pitch/etc. for small bursts at a time then get to sit and rest - most drivers are stuck in the car for hours at a time.

As Hemminway said - "There are only 3 true sports: mountain climbing, bull fighting and auto racing. The rest are just games."

Now as for the level of the sport - well, that's a whole other debate. I'm not really a NASCAR fan but I'll throw them the bone that it is a sport - kinda like t-ball is to the major leagues when compared with the likes of F1 or rally driving. Entertainment value aside, driving those cars on the circuits they race on are far more complicated than cruising in a circle for a couple hours. The NASCAR guys barely have to worry about changing gears once they're at speed let alone worry about brake balance, fuel mixture, 7 second pitstops, turning left and right sometimes in rapid succession.

F1 is considered the pinnacle of auto racing because it has the largest audience world wide by a huge margin - other than the Olympics and maybe the World Cup it is the most watched sport on the planet. It is the most techically advanced - involves the most car manufacturers, has the most multicultural mix of drivers, the biggest bugdets etc.

NASCAR is huge but only in the US - the rest of the world doesn't give the smallest sh!t about it. There is no sophistication to it - a bunch of good'ol boys cruising around a circle in a glorified chevy. All the newest technology on today's street cars have all come out of F1 developments - abs, traction control, active suspension, tiptronic transmissions/paddle shifters, use of things like carbon fiber, advancements in safety, aerodynamics, etc. Virtually every team in F1 has it's own wind-tunnel - how many NASCAR teams do? None - why? - there is no aerodynamic developments. Sure their budgets are dirt cheap and many more smaller individuals and companies can go racing but that's part of what keeps F1 on top/elite - not anyone can turn up with a couple million $ and field a car. Is there room for improvment? you bet there is. Could it be more exciting? I'm sure it could - it use to be much better but over the years with various developments, rule changes, increasing budgets etc. have made it very hard to keep the field on a more even basis leaving only a couple team truly able to compete for top spot and making passing much more difficult but hopefully as things develop these will come to pass.

Basically, NASCAR is a sport as much as F1 is although they are at different levels - not that one is necessarily better than the other they are completely different and cater to vastly different people for a number of reasons - it all depends on what you want out of it.

Answer 2

I think that people spend too much time around this question. Im an avid Nascar fan. I'm not from the south. Do you have a problem with southerners? Back to the question at hand, Nascar is racing. PERIOD. Is racing a sport, i think not. Its a new class all to itself. Maybe even better then sports. Its what you make of it really. I also disagree with the Non athletic part of your rant, lol. Although Nascar is not as rigorious as it use to be, Its still pretty hard on the body and brain.

Answer 3

nascar is a combination of things, first it's a team of engineers,fabricators and highly skilled technicians building a car that can go one hundredth of a second faster than the other the other 40 cars that show up every week,next it's a group of pit specialists who live or die on 2/10th of a second for a four tire change and 20 gallons of gas,by the way these guys lift weights and practice their plays just like football or hockey players do every week,next comes the driver,who has the same feel for his car as a downhill skier has for his skies,the packing of the snow,how fast he can take the next corner or gate without crashing,if the sun has made the course icy or not,he has to have the same concentration as a batter trying to hit a 95mph fastball 500 times in 3 hours,he has to have the accuracy of a target shooter hitting a silver dollar at 100 yards,he has to do all this knowing that if he makes the wrong move he could have a career ending injury or even worse he could be dead,driving a race car is more mentally exhausting than any sport period,there is no other sport that requires such a high level of concentration for such a long period of time,is hunting a sport,is golf a sport,is diving a sport,well if you consider these sports than you have to consider nascar a sport too,nascar has all the physical expenditures of these other so called sports and ten times the excitement so yeah i guess it must be a sport but most of all it's a competition

Answer 4

YES! Nascar is a sport. Do you have the endurance to go that long with all of the G-forces on you, or for that matter could you handle a car going that fast? It does take skill. As for the redneck part, every year the awards is held in New York,where it is highly attended, & I far as I know there are no rednecks there,but I guess I'm one of those rednecks you were talking about so what do I know? Evidently alot more than you! Opinions are like *******, every one has one!

Answer 5

Any of you who think NASCAR isn't a sport obviously isn't educated enough to understand the strategy of the sport and you have to be very ready for an instant change, like a crash how would you deal with it ,and its not a sport ..LMAO.. You don't know what it takes to drive a car @ over 750 hsp and for hours. I would surely like to see you do it...You would either puke or pass out .. I have attened many races including the DAYTONA 500. These drivers deal with extreme heat, high speeds and G-forces , If you even know what that is.And driving with maybe 43 other cars on the track . These "athletes" have a high drive for the adreline rush you get as well. Its risky but fun they love it..Its the top spectator sport . And they get paid well.. Anything that is played with a ball is a GAME..Not a sport ..Yeah Its race season....No more football ..NASCAR FOREVER..........

Answer 6

Depends on what you call a sport, i was gonna tell you to look it up on a dictionary, but it's your opinion.
My opinion, it is a sport, g-forces are involved, a driver works just as hard as an athlete. At first glance, people just see drivers turning the steering wheel, but it's a lot more than that.
If you say it's not a sport, I respect that, you probably have your own reasons.
But the Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks, that's not something I would agree with.

Answer 7

Of course NASCAR is a SPORT. The drivers have to be in good health and work out just like any other athlete in any sport. They are Athletic. You just have be a TRUE NASCAR FAN to understand the SPORT.

Answer 8

Look you *** wipe 1st what do you think these other athletes would do for 3 to 4 hrs w/out a break.And this sport has the most fans next to football & makes more money.
I wish you people would;nt be so ignorant not all people that LOVE Nascar are from the south

Answer 9

OK, Nimrod answer me this if you think it is nothing but left & right turns in rush hour traffic.

Can your do this on varied sized and shaped courses at speeds of up to & over 185 mph with 41 other cars at the same time, some of which are no more than 6-12 inches away from your vehicle and all of then want your spot? Furthermore, you must have all the strategy and skill you to get to the front of the line and hold that position for probably up to 4-5 hours.

That puts a tremendous strain on your arms and legs physically. Because these cars are not cushy like your average little Chevy. From braking and using the accellerator the pedals get hot and the bottom of the driver's shoes can melt. The driver cannot control the temperature inside the vehicle. Meanwhile he must wear a complete head to toe fire suit that puts a further strain on his body and causes dehydration. He has to drive directly into the sun and sometimes drives from sunshine into night light.

It takes a strong man to be able to drive one of these automobiles. And many drive with the injuries received in previous races. Further, they sit right in front of the fuel cells with one of the most combustible fuels. And when they hit the wall it is in speeds in excess of 185 mph and it takes skill to try and avert a crash like that and try to not take out other drivers simutaneously. Can you do this?

Each driver has his own person physical trainer that works with them on every muscle involved to keep them in top condition and at optimal weight, as well as their pit crew. They all have a trainer. When is the last time you went to have gas put in your car and four tires changed and it was all done in less than 15 seconds?

This sport takes courage, strength, strategy, speed, talent, skill and stamina. A drive home in rush hour takes you 45 minutes of boredom after a beer with the guys. I would rather drive with them.

Answer 10

Yes it is because you need very fast reaction times to go around the track at 170+ mph. It's just like how a baseball player needs fast reactions to hit a ball at 90mph. Also you need to be in good cardio condition because it gets really hot in the cars(up to 150 degrees) and your heart will be taxed. If you don't have a good heart/cardio, you'll have a hard time in the car. You also have to have a strong upper body. Driving these cars isn't like driving to the grocery store. It takes some muscles to steer a car around for 3 or 4 hours. Especially when your car isn't handling well or power steering goes out. I"m sure you guys don't want me to blab on so there's one final thing. You have to be mentally fit. Concentrating on the track for hours isn't for the weak of mind. There's no CD player, radio, etc only the constant drone of the engine. If you zone out, you'll likely crash. They don't need have big muscles or flexibility but they sure have the qualities an athlete to be a NASCAR driver.