I was at a local bar last night and after a few “pops” I got into a discussion with a guy at the table next to me on whether or not NASCAR is a sport. My point was that a sport is one’s biological engine against another / group, not one mechanical engine against another and that is why NASCAR is a “Motor” Sport, not a sport. He then asked if triathlon was a sport, why doesn’t everyone ride the same bike so it is truely man vs. man? That got me thinking a bit…we utilize better and better technology in a number of sports to increase our performance. Carbon Fiber bikes, Newton shoes, wetsuits, titanium clubs in golf, even things like underarmour and speed suits. If we are using technology as part of our stratigy to perform better, doesn’t that put us in the same category as NASCAR…Is NASCAR a sport?
I suggest it absolutely is. There is an enormous element of skill and also an element of physical endurance since they are in the cars subjected to incredible heat, noise and vibration for up to 500 miles. It is an extremely difficult and dangerous way to race.
That said, I consider the Formula 1 driver the epitome of motorsport athlete. They endure crushing G forces under braking, cornering and acceleration. The cars are beastly difficult to control. The heat is unimaginable and the noise from the cars deafening even under those enormous aero helmets.
Make no mistake, elite level motorsports athletes are incredibly fit and skilled. You or I couldn’t keep a NASCAR on the track for one lap at racing speed or survive the first turn in any F1 race.
Every sport uses technology…so that is a weird argument. Whether it is a better piece of equipment or the way you train…technology is there. Name a sport and I’ll give the technology argument. Before all the fancy bathing suits, swimming used to in my mind be the most “pure sport.”
Now, I do not think NASCAR is a sport. Now…are the people that participate athletes?..hell yes. Most drivers have extraordinary conditioning and training schedules. I remember even reading that a few of them do triathlons in the off-season.
Yes it is as well as hunting, bowling, golf and curling. All of which I probably stink at.
It’s just a different kind of sport.
jaretj
To me every thing that has a winner and a loser is a competition, so nascar definately qualifies as a competition. A sport is a competition with a physical element. Nascar has that, so yeah its a sport, although one where the physical element is fairly low compared to nerve, strategy, equipment etc.
Styrrell
Motorsport is a sport for the reasons noted above but NASCAR isn’t proper motorsport, it’s more like pro wrestling. It’s fixed and half the drivers are fat rednecks.
according to espn, it is a sport while triathlon isn’t. it’s also harder than any track and field excluding polevaulting. this is an interesting chart.
I think there is inherent difference in the definition of the word “sport”. I believe there are sports and skills. As Demerly noted “driving takes skill”. Right on, but skills are not sports.
We all have our own definitions, but for me the definition is that if the aerobic state or heart rate from physical exertion does not increase to 50% of capacity for longer than say 3 minutes, then the “sport” is probably a “skill”.
So for me “skills” masquerading as “sports” include:
golf, baseball, NASCAR (or any driving) type event, even some things like javelin i question, etc. anyhow, for me, if i dude can sit on a bench and chew tobacco and leisurely scratch his balls, then i seriously question if that can be compared to climbing the Galibier in the TDF or any XC ski race.
anyhow, just MY opinion. we get into this discussion alot it seems among my friends.
Lavender room?
Yes, it is a sport. I did one of the Richard Petty driving schools and got to drive one of the NASCAR cars to about 155. Let me tell you, it is NOT as easy as driving in circles on a track on TV looks. NO - I’m not a fan (more Formula 1). I’ve done lots of other car racing before (mostly SCCA amateur stuff from autocross to road races from Lime Rock to Mid Ohio). As others have mentioned, these analogies come up often based on one’s definition. How about Golf? Curling? Track cyclists who “race” 200 meters on a bicycle?
We all have our own definitions, but for me the definition is that if the aerobic state or heart rate from physical exertion does not increase to 50% of capacity for longer than say 3 minutes, then the “sport” is probably a “skill”. \
Here is my defination, and I agree that there are skill sports, and athletic sports. Auto racing is not an athletic sport. I will catch a lot of shit for this, but if a woman competes at the top with the top men regularly (D. patrick), then it is not athletic in nature… We all know in our own sports, and most of those that we watch, that the athletisism of the top men ALWAYS exceeds the top women. It is a drug thing, and dictated by biology. Sure there are women that often beat men, that is not my point, I mean the top of each, aka world records, olympics, national championships, ect… SO under my defination, bowling, golf, baseball, and all endurance events are sports. Poker is not, as car racing…
I used to race automobiles (and go-carts), albiet at nowhere near the pro levels. Motorsport is absolutely as much a sport as is triathlon.
Is downhill skiing a sport? It’s gravity doing all the work. Equestrian show jumping? The horse is doing all the work.
Sport: an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition.
I think it meets that rather broad definition.
If different divisions aren’t necessary for the sexes then it’s a game, not a sport.
Is this a triathlon Forum?
Here’s my take:
I think that any competition that is physical in nature can be considered a sport, whether they be strongman competitions or bowling. Since motorsports including NASCAR involve a significant physical element, it is a sport.
I do appreciate the designation motorsports, however, because it makes an important distinction. While technology can be applied to pretty much any physical contest to improve performance, in motorsports the technology is the prime mover, i.e. the source of force, power, and action that makes the sport what it is. I would guess that many of us that are critical of the use of the word “sport” to describe motorsports are concerned with this aspect.
In thinking about this, I realized there is another class of sport that one could consider: Those sports in which the prime over is a non-human natural force. The most common examples I can think of off the top of my head include gravity (alpine skiing, ski jumping, luge, downhill MTB, whitewater kayaking), wind (sailing, windsurfing), waves (surfing), and animals (horse racing, equestrian, dogsledding). These rank “higher” for me than motor sports since the non-human force is at least natural. Motor sports rank lower for me because they involve the use of a constructed machine to do the work, at a significant environmental cost (not that our own technology is perfectly clean).
You can’t deny the thrill that a powerful machine creates though. That’s probably why I like cycling - it’s the best way you can go fast purely under your own power!
…oh and one final note. Sport requires a physical aspect. The appeal I read about Duplicate Bridge making to get into the Olympics due to the “mental gymnastics” required just didn’t cut it for me :).
Is downhill skiing a sport? It’s gravity doing all the work. Equestrian show jumping? The horse is doing all the work. \
DO top women compete with top men(skiing), No, so yes an athletic sport…
“” “” “” “”" “”" “”" “”" “”" “”" “”" “”" “”" “”" "(Equestrain), Yes, so not an athletic sport…
See how easy my formula makes it…(-;
If it involves gasoline, it’s not a sport.
Hunting I’m not sure where that falls into it, as I know what it takes to hunt and in a lot of cases it’s not easy physically. In other instances it’s almost as easy as sitting on the sofa.
I tend to say that if the participants openly and regularly can get drunk, and smoke while in the middle of the event, and some of the “best” in the event have man-boobs then it’s not a sport, it’s a game. I’d say bowling, golf, and curling fall into the “game” category. All those games require athletic ability but none the less are games.
Yes Baseball is a game.
I have this discussion with people at work all the tim. Hunting is also a sport to some people. While I believe driving a race car to require a great degree of skill it isn’t a sport. Why not? The driver isn’t an athlete. Why aren’t they athletes? If you can add or subtrack 30 pounds to a person’s wasteline and it doesn’t effect their performance one way the other, they aren’t an athlete.
I think one of the most challenging sports are the poker tournaments on ESPN. That must be very gruelling to sit there for hours and then on top of that try and see thru those dark sunglasses. Why don’t they just dim the lights:-)