How is Nascar considered a sport and/or why are drivers considered athletes?

Question

Nascar even being called a sport is almost as bad as the drivers being called "athletes". Both are entirely untrue.

Nascar drivers depend on a $1 million dollar car to do anything. If they did not have the car, nothing would happen.. no super exciting endless left-hand turns.. oh no, what a shame.

Do basketball players play on million dollar rollerskates?
Do baseball players use gold bats and diamonds for balls?
Do football players play on hovercrafts to move?

Do you see how ridicilous these things are? That is what REAL sports fans think of Nascar.. a big fat joke. Nascar is a competition, but definately not a sport with athletes participating.

So, why is Nascar considered a sport and drivers considered athletes? I drive my car for 10 hours straight.. am I an athlete?

People dont need steriods in fake sports. If they had something difficult to do, then they would be down for it. Whoever said that cycling was less of a sport is just retarded. The tour de France is like 15 stages of 150 miles a day. That is endurance, not driving Mrs. Daisy..

AND THEY SELF PROPEL THEIR BIKES, NOT USE THE GAS PEDAL!

Answer 1

I think that the you are getting so much crap for this is because the title attracts NASCAR fans. I think people aren't seeing NASCAR as a sport because they are not physically on a court or field manned up against someone. It's everyone for their selves. They aren't making physical contact or catching a ball. I personally don't agree with some of the comments posted. Yes, it's hard to drive a car so fast and for so long, but it seems as if some of the people say that NASCAR is the toughest sport, and I can't agree with that. I've been to races before and have thought the same thing, how is this a sport, but after reading what other people have said about it being hard makes me realize that it is a tough sport. I don't agree that people are putting down sports like baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. Those sports are just as tough as racing. Football players constantly are getting bruised and injured. Also, quarterbacks have to throw a ball while the defensive line is trying to get to them, and if they don't make a good pass, it could be intercepted. Or if an offensive lineman let's someone by, they'll sack the quarterback. Basketball players break fingers and noses all the time. And baseball, you have to be skilled to hit ball coming at you at 90 MPH or more. And even to catch a ball after it's hit is difficult.

I think that not all NASCAR/racing fans know how hard it is both mentally and physically it is to play baseball, basketball, or football. And it takes a lot of stamina to run up and down a basketball quart for 15 minutes a quarter. Yes, there are substitutes to replace them, but it's still hard. And I don't think someone who plays baseball, basketball, or football sees how hard it is to be a race car driver. Where I live, cheerleading is not considered a sport by the state, but that still takes a lot of mental and physical training to do what they do. But a sport such as poker isn't a physical sport, it's mental and it still takes skills to play it. I think that is how NASCAR and every other sport is. It takes physical and/or mental skills to play, and that's why it's considered a sport.

P.S. I think every athlete is way over paid. What have they done to help society? I know that some of them donate money, but they wouldn't if they weren't paid in millions. Well, most of the athletes are. Think about it, doctors help people on a daily basis, athletes go out on a court, field, or track for a few hours, and with their skills at their sport, they play infront of thousands of paying fans. I was just looking up the prices for a football game I want to go to. The cheapest seat is $175 each, way up at the top. I also looked up seats to a USC game, a parking pass was $50, and the tickets were a lot more. Good thing I get free tickets to USC games.

Oh, and Wedge_Antilles_72, I don't see how you think David Ortiz isn't an athlete. I personally don't like the Red Sox, but he is a great athlete. I want to see you hit a ball going sometimes faster than 100 MPH. That takes skill. Like golf takes skill. It's takes a lot of skills to hit a ball into a hole. And what's mentioned above about the definition of a sport by harvickmakesmeshiver. Dissing golf is like dissing racing. You say you don't have to be athletic to play golf, but you do to be a race car driver, than you're just plain stupid. Both sports require skill which is in the definition of a sport.

And to everyone else: You're saying that NASCAR drivers don't need steroids, and that's because they drive in circles for hours wasting gas. They're not plowing through defenders to get a touch down. They don't need muscles as much as other sports do. And you're speaking of the sports in a whole. Not the entire MLB or NFL is on steroids, but you're making it seem like everyone who doesn't drive around in a car for hours upon hours has to be on steroids because their sport actually requires them to have muscles.

I tried to make this start off as a nice post, but if everyone is going to be dissing other sports besides NASCAR, I'm not going to be nice. It takes just as much skill and physical training to go play any other sport as it does NASCAR. And before anyone ever says it's easier to play baseball or basketball better rethink that. It's just as difficult if not more difficult. I want to see you try to make it to the baseball hall of fame or be a football legend. I think it would be hard to drive a race car at such fast speeds in the heat. I'm not trying to say that NASCAR isn't a sport. I'm just trying to make a point that it is not the hardest. And if this catagory would attract baseball or basketball fans, that there would be a lot more people agreeing with me.

Answer 2

Ok, first off I've driven 10 hrs straight closer to 12 actually going from home to New Jersey or Florida. I've had the ability to stop get something to eat, go to the bathroom, etc ,etc. Also I have little things like A/C, a much more padded seat and armrests, plus my steering wheel is not almost in my chest. You have to be a contortionist to just get in and out of the car. These drivers do almost the same distance I'm driving with only a few 13-15 second breaks for tires and fuel, and maybe some water. Mind you I'm driving at less than half the speed they are and a lot further apart as well. I mean really I like baseball but how much of an athlete is David Ortiz? He waddles up to the plate hits a ball and then goes and sits down until it's his turn up at bat again, rarely plays the field, that's athletic?? Lemme guess the guys in the PGA are even more athletic than NASCAR drivers because they walk an 18 hole golf course. Ok my 2 liter of soda drinking, pack a day smoking a** can walk 18 holes, without a caddy carrying my clubs for me(Oh btw that's how the PGA defends calling golfers athletes, because they walk the course). Just because one does not run around on a field, does not make them an athlete. Oh yeah professional cyclists ride bicycles that cost more than my car, I guess they're not athletes either.

Answer 3

I believe your time would have been better spent if instead of trying to convince us racing is not a sport, you could have convinced us that those other things are anything more than mere children's games played by adults.

You know, I appreciate the skill and talent it takes to make a 30 foot jumper but a racer squeezing a car into a hole that's 4 inches bigger than the car at 190 mph takes just as much skill, if not more.

The difference; a missed jump shot results in a rebound while in the sport of racing, missing the hole can maim or kill. How many jumpshooters would take the chance with those possibilities? Zero would be my guess.

How many times have you seen a pass receiver chicken out in the middle of the field out of fear of a little contact? I have, thousands of times in my lifetime. Yet, Jerry Nadeau somehow survived an impact of 128 g's and still, all he wants to do is race, even though the next severe impact could easily end his life.

Stamina, skill, reflexes and talent are important for "play", but adding courage and unwavering faith in one's skill is the hallmark of true sport.

Even Jeff Gordon makes a football player look like a wimp.

Now, here is the clincher. If there were no fans in the stands and the "players" weren't making big money, how many "athletes" would continue to do what they do out of love for the game?

Racers could be told there are no fans, you can't make a lot of money and you will have to race Yugo's with the winner taking home a little plastic trophy and it wouldn't make any difference to them. They would still race because competition, outrunning the others, is what is most important to them.

Also, I would try to sneak in under the fence to watch even under the threat of being arrested for trespass, but I'm not about to pay money to watch a bunch of grown men play a game.

However, free tickets are always appreciated.

But, I will pay hundreds of dollars to watch those drivers coax their “steeds” to do the impossible.

Answer 4

In 1959, the Florida sports writers voted Nascar driver Fireball Roberts athlete of the year. That was 49 years ago dude. Get over it.

And the ridiculous comparison of driving your car for 10 hours holds no water because I can run and jump and catch a ball too but i dont consider myself an athlete.

Answer 5

I was going to agree with DIPPY and leave it at that...but then I thought about NASCAR being the largest spectator sport in the US, maybe in the world, and then I think about all the fans-
those sitting in the bleachers that have camped out for days just to be there for race day.

Then there are those fans who are
sitting in climate controlled living rooms in their lazy boys with the remote in one hand and a cold beer in the other, WATCHING these guys drive sometimes over 200mph for 4 to 6 hours, the heat in their cars reaching over 140 degrees on occaision.... If you listen to the radios on any given day you can hear them begging for gatorade and frozen bananas or apples to replenish the potassium they have sweated out the last 15 laps. To not call them athletes and to not call Nascar a sport is an insult to them as drivers and the time they devote to the SPORT. Have you ever seen an unfit Nascar driver or heard of a scandal involving any kind of illegal drugs or steroids of any kind involving a nascar driver? No, you do not.

Answer 6

Instead of bothering us with your unintelligent views why don't you go browse a webster dictionary. The definition of Sport and Athlete both lend credit to the fact Nascar IS a sport with athletes. If you don't you like it petition to have the word definitions changed. But considering golf is considered a sport i don't think you have much chance of sounding intelligent saying Nascar shouldn't be. Racing in any form was the first celebrated sport in history. Nascar drivers have a lot of stamina and endurance that basketball, baseball and football players don't have. Saying they arent athletes is like saying Mom's just sit and watch soap operas all day.

Answer 7

every sport requires some kind of equipment to play.

the reason people dont recognize nascar as a sport is because they drive their cars every day. but there is NOTHING you do in your street car that compares to what a NASCAR driver goes through mentally and physically to drive on the edge of control for hours on end with other drivers and cars within inches of them.
just because they arent swinging a stick of wood or throwing a ball around doesn't mean they arent athletes.

Answer 8

hey before you start saying nascar isn't a sport.
why don't you get into a car drive 400 miles for 5 hours see how think it is. it is more demanding than any sport they get timeouts and crap drivers they dont get crap but maybe a 20 sec pit stop every 20-60 laps. you dont know how much mental and physical stress it takes to drive a racecar like these guys do. you go out there race at daytona talladega or the brickyard those tracks are huge they are 2 miles along some even longer they drive around those tracks for 3-6 hours. they dont get air circulation like you would think. imagine how much weight they would loose in one race. all the drivers no matter how much i hate them they have my respect. to do that is amazing i know i wouldn't be able to withstand the heat and the physical and mental stress in that racecar sitting there for 400 miles 4-6 hours. so if that doesnt get it through your head than you obviously have no clue no idea what a true "athlete" is or what a true "sport" is.
I rest my case.

Answer 9

Yes, they are, because NASCAR drivers and pro bowlers are the fittest of athletes.

Answer 10

because as most you dont know what the word means.. here is dictionary.com's definition of sport.

1. 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.

Do you notice that racing is the first in the row.. Give it up.. It is a sport!

Answer 11

Do you see NASCAR fans having to defend their drivers from use of steroids as in football and Baseball? No.

Guess what they need a car to do their sport because its a car race!! Would you prefer if they ran around the track for 4 hours?

Tell ya what, go down to your nearest Go Kart track and drive one of the really fast Karts against a good driver and see how long it is before you are unable to turn the wheel from a lack of strength in your arms. I would guess about 15 minutes and thats in a Kart that weighs approx 200lbs then try wrestling a stock car which weighs 3200libs and has 50x the power around a track for 4 hours with pretty much zero cooling in the car.

Cyclists need a bicycle to do their sport, its clearly not a real sport although it is riddled with drugs so it probably counts as a sport in your eyes because of that.

You need a ball to play football, thats obviously not a sport either. In fact running is the only sport. Oh no, you need running shoes for that. Damn, i guess there are no sports.