POINT

NASCAR: the ultimate sport

By Philip Bogenberger

Imagine sitting at a stoplight waiting for it to turn green, then beating the car next to you off the line, before pulling over for full-service gas and racing away before the guy at the next pump is finished filling his tank. Tell me that’s not a sport.

Having mental toughness is more of a requirement in auto racing than most other sports.

Envision driving a car at speeds nearing 200 mph while opposing drivers push their supped-up vehicles around the racetrack in an attempt to keep you from finishing in first place.

If you have the slightest mental lapse then you’ve suddenly driven a car worth upwards of $1,000,000 (depending on the racing circuit) into the wall at breakneck speed.

Sure, mental toughness is not the only attribute that qualifies auto racing as a sport.

Anybody who thinks pressing the gas pedal and shifting the gears of a car does not qualify as physical activity does not have the slightest inclination of what auto racing actually entails.

Try going from fifth gear to third while gently pressing the brake pedal to maneuver around a multi-car wreck in a matter of nanoseconds.

Sure it seems like a simple task driving in a Hyundai on I-95 at one-third of the speed, but it takes a lot of strength and force to perform the feat in a racecar, which most people are physically incapable of pulling off.

It also takes quite a skilled athlete to keep a car from flying sideways after being bumped from behind by a disgruntled Tony Stewart.

But it’s not just the defending champion that a NASCAR driver has to compete against. Forty-three drivers qualify for a Nextel Cup race, and all are looking to win at any cost.

Still there are more reasons that make auto racing one of the supreme sports.

First, it is a worldwide sport with major automakers from eight countries and circuits on six continents.

Next, while my colleague on the other side of the page will have you believe auto racing is for beer-guzzling rednecks, the sport is more advanced than others when it comes to gender equality. Women and men compete in the same races, and as rookie of the year Danica Patrick proved during last year’s Indy Racing League season, women can hold their own.

In addition, auto racers must be in tremendous physical shape. While driving in a racecar that can reach temperatures nearing 130 degrees, drivers can lose up to ten pounds during a race, which is similar to a hockey goalie.

Also, There are not any overweight racecar drivers, except for Stewart. But I would not say it to his face because he has been known to throw a punch or two at his detractors.

Lastly, auto racers are similar to daredevils, risking their lives every time they get behind the wheel.

If that is not the ultimate sport, then I don’t know what is.

COUNTERPOINT

As ‘athletes,’ drivers take the back seat

By Weston Reeves

First off, if ridiculously fast racing and outlandish aggressive driving are qualifiers for what makes an athlete, then my 57-year-old mom is in the best shape of her life.

Sitting around the office Sunday I was compelled to turn my eyes to the Daytona 500 and actually see just what all the fuss was about. What I saw was not much.

To those fans out there who love NASCAR as much as their Blue Collar TV and their cold ones, I have come to critique what you call an athletic event.

With its increasing popularity, NASCAR has topped even Major League Baseball in ratings and has firmly planted itself as one of the top sports in America. But I can’t help and question whether the event is even a sport at all.

To be a sport, their has to be a bit of athleticism involved, and the average NASCAR driver isn’t going to win a track and field event against athletes like Terrell Owens or Allen Iverson without the help of an engine.

Don’t get me wrong, NASCAR has Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who look like they could hold their own, but former Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart doesn’t look like he could finish a 50-yard jog, let alone a 50-yard dash. That is, unless he was chasing the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile down the street…

Maybe the running was a low blow, but these guys sit in a car for 500 miles! SIT!

Now I’ll admit that there is a huge amount of skill required in racing. Racing a car up to 200 mph is definitely something that requires a bit of talent. However athletic talent? That’s where I begin to disagree. It takes an incredible amount of skill to hit a bull’s-eye in a game of darts, but athletic prowess? I don’t think so.

As far as the sport is concerned, there is one thing that bothers me. At Daytona Sunday, Stewart sent Matt Kenseth spinning into the grass in the 106th lap, bullying his opponent off the road. The number 17 car sought revenge against the former Nextel Cup champion, later bumping Stewart’s car but failing to prevent him from finishing in the top five.

How can NASCAR racing really be considered a true athletic event if headhunting can play such a dramatic role in the outcome of the contest? Sure there is the occasional late hit in football, and a dirty ear bite or low blow may find its way into a boxing match, but they usually don’t have large impacts on the final result.

Many races require athletic ability, but when you add an engine it takes the sport away from the event. Just ask Lance Armstrong how he would field about cruising around the French countryside on a moped instead of a bicycle.