Ok. So it’s a neverending debate. Are Nascar drivers athletes? Many will argue that Yes, drivers are athletes. Others will tell you no.
I, for one, believe that Nascar drivers ARE athletes. Some drivers are athletically involved off of the track, some more physically fit than others. It does take some skills to be successful on the track. What are some of the skills that a Nascar driver should have? What skills are almost essential if you want to be competitive?
-Stamina-
These guys are driving an average of 500 miles at an average speed of 188mph, which is 3Gs (Gravitational Acceleration), non-stop for 3 or 4 hours at a time. Sometimes more! 
-Strength-
Yes, some strength is required. Imagine the power steering going out while you’re trying to whip your car around a track at 180mph? THAT will give you one heck of a work out!
-Endurance/Conditioning-
These guys are sitting in a 130 degree car while wearing firesuits, for several hours at a time. The average race is 500 miles. Thats the distance from San Francisco, CA to Medford, OR!!! It was once said that Nascar great, Buddy Baker, would drive his car with the heat on in the middle of the summer in order to prepare for events!
-Good Vision-
Ok, your surroundings are moving fast around you. You are crowded in with 42 other guys going just as fast as you are. You have to be able to identify whats going on around you and you have to be able to do it fast
-Good Reflexes-
Racing requires jungle-cat reflexes. You have to be able to make a move at the drop of a dime, sometimes before you even see what you are moving away from. If a wreck happens 6 car lengths ahead of you, you are going to come up on it FAST…a small flick of the steering wheel could send you right into the middle of a mess!
-Mental Fitness-
Its not just about physically ability. What about mental fitness? You have to be able to deal with stress and be able to stay focused while under pressure.
From those skills alone, you can see that there is a certain level of Athleticism needed to drive in Nascar and to be competitive in the sport. Many Nascar drivers are Athletes off of the track too, in fact many drivers excel at other sports.
Mark Martin is known for having a rigorous 5-day workout employing 16 repetitions for every part of the body! Dale Jarrett has enough skills to be a PGA golfer. Kyle Petty was recruited for college football and baseball. Elliot Sadler was looking at a college basketball career before he suffered a knee injury. Micheal Waltrip has run marathons. Denny Hamlin has lost tons of weight since the beginning of his career and plays basketball regularly. He is also an avid pilot.
Another avid pilot, and perhaps the most fit driver of Nascar, is Carl Edwards. Edwards is known for his ripped physique, defined arms and toned stomach. He gives a back-flip with every win. He bikes regularly, even riding his bike for a few days to arrive at the track for the race. He’s been featured in Men’s Health Magazine and has also done Under Armor advertising. Carl Edwards is proof that Nascar drivers are athletes.
In fact, every driver is proof. Not all of these guys are in perfect shape, but for what they do, they are. Just because you can drive a car, does not mean you can race. Racing takes a certain level of athleticism and certain skills. Nascar drivers ARE athletes.
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2.1.4p2/970 Thu Jun 4 02:10:38 UTC 2009
54 Comments
wolf12
Aug 08 2008 00:12
The Debate goes on
I have heard this debate for so many years. I may be wrong in my view, but I think that to call a race car driver an athlete is to bring him or her down. I know of no athlete that has to put his body and mind on the line as long as a race car driver does in a 300 mile race or in any race. I want to know of an athlete that has to go through both mind and body as a funny car driver does if for only seconds. Being strong or having great reflexes is just not enough to be a race car driver. They have to have all that and so much more as pointed out by everyone on this blog. There are a lot of strong athletes out there that could never become race car drivers. I really feel that any Pro race car driver, be it Nascar, Drag racing, or F-1, are way above any athlete I know of.
wolf12
lfielding24
Aug 07 2008 21:37
Great Job K
CEfan
Aug 07 2008 09:40
Good Job!
Very good job of making your point. I agree, but if I didn’t, you would have made me thought about it!
lottolou
Aug 06 2008 21:57
GR88 READ MY FRIEND K!
NASCAR drivers qualify every word in the definition of “athlete”.
Race drivers have the stamina to endure a “dangerous-risky” sport, skill to handle a vehicle going at high speed while other vehicles are just inches away, and physically sound to withstand the “hours” of continuous driving.
I, for one, could not drive so fast, having complete (sometimes)control while others are right next to me, bumping me, for so many hours!
Heck, I’d be taking alot more pit-stops!
I respect every driver that races, “You ARE athletes”!
Thanx for the blog K.
11slady
Aug 06 2008 21:09
This is
a very good blog. You seem like a very smart and nice person. Will you be my friend? : D
mydakota1994
Aug 06 2008 20:58
you nailed it
I could not agree with to any more. People think driving a NASCAR
is like driving their passenger car. If you have had your car up to
80mph you find out real fast how hard it is to control. Try multiplying that by two and try it.
Lanett_Y
Aug 06 2008 20:54
Good Job!
I fully agree with everything you have posted!
mcpainttex
Aug 06 2008 20:35
Sure they are
Every fan knows they are atheletes every body else thinks not.You have made an excellent case for the drivers and I’m a fan so you don’t have to convince me.
Heres your “ATTA GIRL” for getting on the front page.
race88girl
Aug 06 2008 19:55
Amazing blog!!!!
I totally agree that NASCAR drivers are athletes. Great job on the blog and I’m glad it was one of the main topics on nascar.com =] You rock!!
stewie1
Aug 06 2008 19:40
You Nailed it!
How many people have been around Bristol Motor Speedway in a NASCAR Sprint cup car?I have and,being the passenger during a Richard Petty Experience ride along(birthday present),even though it was only for 5 laps at speeds below what is run during a cup race I became a believer that day.They are,beyond a shadow of a doubt,athletes that require satmina,strength and mental awareness to do their jobs let alone do them at the level that these fine men achieve every race.Driving a car on the road everyday with all the all the other idiots out there that think they can drive NASCAR does not make you capable of even hoping to walk a foot in the shoes of these wonderful athletes.I knew that it was a physically demanding sport before I ever set foot in the car,thought “Hey,I think I could do this.”like everyone else.I don’t think that way anymore!! 500 hundred laps at Bristol with the cars around you going WFO is something that can only be done by an athlete and those who think otherwise just do not know what they are talking about,plain and simple.I applaud your piece.