NASCAR is not a sport

[northcity4]

There is of course the debate as to if NASCAR drivers are actually 'athletic.' There is also the debate as to whether it really is a sport as opposed to an entertainment event only. The comparison usually compares people who run, play football, weight lifting, etc, but do the drivers actually get that kind of physical punishment?

The car stopper guys that refuel/change the tires and what not seem to be the only people doing something athletic, but even then, their calorie burn at the end of the day is really small and not something that will keep you from getting fat necessarily.

Your thoughts? Please try to be kind as I know NASCAR fans are probably the top of the list when it comes to pride in a 'sport.'

[ddevans96]

Driving in a stock car doesn't seem athletic, but there's a few factors that make it a pretty demanding event.

Mainly, they're strapped very tightly in a car in an already warm environment. Temperatures inside cars get up to 140 F quickly, and they have to deal with that for upwards of three hours. This produces a level of sweat and tiring comparable to a strenous football game.

Also, the speed at which the cars travel often puts more than three G's of force on the driver, more than any standard sport.

It's not a sport in the same way team sports involving passing an object, defensive maneuvers, and role players are, but it's still a sport.

[northcity4]

But, the driver does not have to be athletic. He has to be trained and healthy of course, but athleticism is not a theme of nascar which is one of the core principles of driving. I don't consider being able to withstand heat alone as good enough evidence.

[Naesala]

Sport
An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.

Exertion
Physical or mental effort.

I would say the combined intense temperatures, G-force, and required reflexes are enough to define this as physical exertion, the driving at high speeds requires skill. So by these definitions it is a sport.

[ddevans96]

But, the driver does not have to be athletic. He has to be trained and healthy of course, but athleticism is not a theme of nascar which is one of the core principles of driving. I don't consider being able to withstand heat alone as good enough evidence.

You're right, heat alone isn't. But there's also force and reflexes (which I apparently failed to add to my post - derp :F). Combined, these have a comparable, though still smaller, effect on the body to sports like football. I don't honestly think you can compare many sports to each other, because they require insanely different skill sets, but NASCAR does have a toll on the body just like other sports.

[northcity4]

Well lets do this:

Football/running/soccer/hockey/basketball/cycling/swimming: most people if not all agree these are sports. These people burn on average 3500-6000 calories

NASCAR driver: will burn in a race only 200 calories.

Yes it is mental and your body experiences many different things such as g-force and heat resistance...but at the end of the day, you did not struggle/even come close in effort as any of the people above I posted. I see their faces after games and some cannot even get up after a game and here comes nascar guy out of his car like he accomplished something. I am not putting down NASCAR, but I am saying that the things we consider 'sports' have key components like effort in physicality and calorie burning that NASCAR does not.

I do not consider mental or heat/g-force resistance part of being 'athletic.' Football players experience many hits and bodily hits...but we don't talk about this making them athletic or doing a sport. When we talk about 'is it a sport?' we are asking: how much 'physical effort did you exert, not experience.

I can live in a hot area for a year and experience G-force...won't burn many calories, won't be prepared for physical training

[Naesala]

We're debating different things. You're focusing on saying that NASCAR isn't athletic, and because of that doesn't deserve to be recognized as a sport. This is a problem people have with other sports such as cheerleading. But sports don't have to require a large amount of calories burned. They just require an amount of physical effort, which includes forces acting on the body that do not burn large amounts of calories, and to be competitive. I agree that NASCAR is not "athletic". But it is, by definition a sport.

Note, I personally really dislike NASCAR, so it's not like I'm stretching to defend it. I'm going by definition.

[whatifidogetcaught?]

Eh, I think NASCAR is athletic. Maybe a few or so are fat guys (but look at baseball, Babe Ruth...Bartolo Colon to name a few)

In running a full race, their heart rate has the pace of someone running a marathon, the ENTIRE race (which can last up to 5 or more hours). Also, by definition it is a sport. Take this with a grain of salt, I am biased toward NASCAR, I am a big fan.

[northcity4]

Physical exertion does not include forces upon the body. This is where we disagree.

Eh, I think NASCAR is athletic. Maybe a few or so are fat guys (but look at baseball, Babe Ruth...Bartolo Colon to name a few)

In running a full race, their heart rate has the pace of someone running a marathon, the ENTIRE race (which can last up to 5 or more hours). Also, by definition it is a sport. Take this with a grain of salt, I am biased toward NASCAR, I am a big fan.

I agree. Baseball is being debated as well...but the problem is that these players are being 'active' for hours upon hours. Active as in moving and exercising. Again, I am not going to debate this at this moment, but I will talk about it in pm.

Cheerleading: see baseball^