Pro: Gina Murray
Heart pounding, pulse racing, suspenseful and extremely risky are all words to describe attributes of a great sport. All these words are used to describe Nascar racing, so why do some people consider it not a real sport?
NASCAR racing has been around for 53 years, and has its share of upsets, tragedies, and huge victories just like any other sport. Athletes come from all over to share their passion for the thrill of high speeds and rushing adrenaline.
I think that NASCAR is just as much a sport as baseball, football or soccer because the people involved in it are true athletes. They sweat, they get thirsty, they compete and they feel the elation of victory and the affliction of defeat. There may not be a ball or any physical contact, but that doesn’t make it any less easy on the drivers. They still get injured, they still run out of breath and in some very sad cases, some have even died in the pursuit of first place.
I know the argument some have for NASCAR just being more of a hobby and less of a sport, that driving around a track 500 times is not a very sport-like thing. But I think these people are wrong. I will admit that I have never once been able to watch all 500 laps, because I’ve gotten bored way before even half of that number, most times I don’t even make it to lap 100. But, I don’t think that takes away from the athleticism of the drivers or of the sport.
Those drivers have to be in such good shape to be able to last that long in an extremely hot environment without passing out. They have to be able to have mental power to outsmart their opponents and anticipate their strategies. Plus, NASCAR is a fun social sport. I know many people who have bet on the drivers or who have entered NASCAR pools in bars. They have just as much fun rooting for their driver as fans do rooting for their favorite football team (the 49ers!).
So while NASCAR may not be a physical, team sport filled with running, tackling, shooting or hitting, it is full of thrills, unpredictability, and fast cars. NASCAR belongs in the sports world, so all the non-believers are missing a little bit of action, a little excitement and a little thrill, that’s their loss.
Con: Syed Ali
When I think of what qualifies as a sport, I tend to think of ones that involve strategy, a strenuous amount of physical activity, and a tremendous magnitude of athleticism from athletes. When I think of examples of sports, I think of football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer-five major sports that demand everything from my aforementioned list. But NASCAR, on the other hand, is undoubtedly questioned time and time again over whether it is a sport or not. As for myself, I lean towards the latter.
Most sports require that athletes remain healthy year-round in order to perform at their highest level throughout the season. During the season, and especially in the offseason, players maintain a healthy diet and constantly work out and attend team practices. The same cannot be said for NASCAR drivers. I’m not implying that they do not practice their driving skills during the offseason or refuse to work out, but the physical fitness of a NASCAR driver isn’t as important as that of an athlete. I know for a fact that a majority of professional athletes are under strict diet regiments, having to divert from fatty foods and sweets. Aside from that, professional athletes spend countless hours working out in a gym, and some also attend practices during the day in the scorching sun. NASCAR drivers, on the other hand, could neglect the gym and eat whatever they want.
As for strategy, coaches have to create plays on both offense and defense that they think will be successful, and make numerous adjustments during the game when things aren’t working their way-whether it be benching a player in favor of another, or completely changing his or her game plans. On the contrary, people may argue that there is strategy involved in NASCAR racing, but it isn’t as complex as what goes on during, let’s say, a football or baseball game. I’m not trying to be narrow-minded, but knowing when to make a pit stop and when to apply the brake and gas pedal isn’t exactly what I would call strategy.
NASCAR is also a sport that doesn’t involve a lot of physical interaction with fellow competitors. If you watch football and basketball games, you’ll realize that there’s a tremendous amount of physicality that goes into play, and that injuries occur very often. But for NASCAR drivers, they are safe and confined in their race cars. I’ll agree, crashes do occur, but they happen every so often. Also, drivers are well-protected by their racing cars and their suits, so injury occurrences in NASCAR aren’t as likely to happen as ones you would witness in any other sport.
Finally, a lot of people say that NASCAR is a sport just because there is obviously a competitive nature to it. I would agree that NASCAR racing is competitive, but it shouldn’t be the only standard that measures what is and what isn’t a sport. If you think NASCAR is a sport because it’s competitive then I guess Yahtzee and burping contests are sports as well.
As for me, I’d rather sit in the newsroom and proofread articles than watch a car turn left for one hundred or so laps.