(Author’s Note: Here’s something a little different for y’all today instead of my usual 5 Stages of Analysis articles. I had actually forgotten about posting this until a few weeks ago, but it seems like the perfect opportunity to publish it during the NASCAR offseason. I wrote this research paper last year for my English 101 class as a freshman at the University of South Carolina Aiken. For this research paper assignment, we had to provide a detailed argument with evidence to support one side of a heated debate. We didn’t have to choose from any particular subject, so I immediately decided to do my paper about NASCAR. Two of the most recognizable debates about NASCAR are whether it is a sport or whether its drivers are truly athletes. I chose to argue that NASCAR drivers are athletes based on their endurance, physical fitness/strength, and mental focus inside and outside of the racecar. I provided specific pieces of evidence from the careers of several drivers to prove my thesis that they are, indeed, world class athletes. This paper is perfect for somebody who doubts the athleticism of our favorite drivers because it provides clear examples of their athletic traits, provides scientific evidence supporting the competitors’ skills as they compete at speeds of nearly 200 mph, and highlights real-life examples of NASCAR drivers performing inside and outside of the racecar. If you know somebody who doesn’t understand why NASCAR drivers are considered athletes, point them to this article and give them the opportunity to know why fans, like myself, are such staunch advocates for our favorite competitors being considered athletes. Without further ado, enjoy as I provide a detailed argument supporting why NASCAR drivers are, without a doubt, world-class athletes.)
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, also known as NASCAR, is one of the most popular spectator sports in the world. Millions of diehard race fans travel to race tracks all across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe to see the action in person while millions more see the spectacle on television. NASCAR’s exhilarating and electrifying action also make it one of a kind with drivers battling within inches of each other through high banked turns and cars making contact with the wall, beating off each other, and crashing all around the race track. All this happens while drivers battle their own 3,300-pound stock cars through tough track and pit conditions. Not only that, but this action lasts for at least four hundred miles and drivers are expected to maintain control for around three hours with no breaks in the action. Fans have come to appreciate the athleticism and sheer talent of the drivers, but critics of the sport find every opportunity to discredit the skills of drivers from rants on social media to legitimate news publications questioning each driver’s abilities. However, it takes a certain kind of skill set to drive a car two times the normal speed with three times as many obstacles, cars, and walls surrounding them. Because of this, a NASCAR driver’s endurance, physical fitness/strength, and mental focus inside and outside of the racecar confirm that they are athletes.
The oppositional stance against the athleticism of NASCAR drivers takes its position from three major claims. First, these critics compare auto racing to driving a simple passenger car on the interstate and contend that the car does the major handy work while the drivers just lazily control the car. This point is followed by a mention of Mike Harmon and Tony Stewart, who are both robust men who have probably never lifted a weight, according to opponents. Finally, adversaries of the sport point to the inability to view the drivers in their athletic environment. An article by Lars Anderson reiterates this fact by saying that, “Unlike in stick-and-ball sports, in which the athletes' skills are easily observed and evaluated, a NASCAR driver's talent is hard to pinpoint or quantify” (Anderson). While fans see the power and skill it takes to work the gas and brake pedal just right in conjunction with the steering wheel, critics see a beautifully painted car turning aimlessly around the track in the same pattern over and over. It is nearly impossible to show a critic how hard a driver works in a racecar without placing them in a fully-powered stock car. Opponents believe their observations and beliefs hold the most value, but they ignore the athletic skills required to be a NASCAR driver.
A NASCAR driver’s endurance can be seen in a wide variety of situations. In a study done by the Journal of Thermal Biology, eight male drivers were tested for a variety of physiological responses in the racecar from heart rate all the way to fluid balance. The study determined that drivers “[Heart rates] increased from pre-race value of 105.6 ± 9.1 to 152.0 ± 10.1 beats per min post-race.” Plus, the study discovered that “core temperatures increased from a pre-race value of 38.1 ± 0.1 °C to a post-race value of 38.6 ± 0.2 °C” (Carlson et al. 26). For most humans, a rise in heart rate of more than 50 beats per minute can suggest potential health issues. Yet, racecar drivers compete in those challenging circumstances, despite the potential health implications. One important note about this study is that it was performed at a local short track with NASCAR sanctioned late models that only race approximately twenty minutes. When the information collected is scaled to a three-hour NASCAR race, these values could increase to even greater temperature and heart rate changes. All this occurs with the athletes getting no breaks in the action whereas in other sports, such as football, players spend the vast majority of the game off the field and hydrating. Tony Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series champion, summed it up by saying, “We don't have timeouts. We don't have halftime. We play the whole game” (Patrick 20). While there are caution periods and pit stops, these moments last for only a few minutes and drivers have to remain on the race track while driving at around fifty miles per hour. It is hard competing once a day, but some drivers are willing to do it more than that.
One specific example of this incredible endurance level over one day is Kurt Busch’s marathon day of racing in 2014. On May 25th, Busch ran the Indianapolis 500, IndyCar’s longest and most grueling race, and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, which is NASCAR’s longest and most challenging event, on the same day. Busch completed the five-hundred-mile event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in sixth place and hopped into a plane where he flew to Charlotte Motor Speedway for six hundred more miles of racing. Even though Busch’s engine expired before he could complete the 1,100 miles of racing, Busch did complete 906 miles total on the race track and said he “felt good physically” afterwards (Jenkins and Hembree). Busch had battled through two of auto racing’s toughest events on the same day and his stamina was prepared for even longer. Most athletes cannot compete in back to back events on the same day, but Busch did it seamlessly in even more demanding circumstances. It was an impressive display of his endurance and his athleticism cannot be called into question.
In addition to unbelievable endurance, NASCAR drivers have immense physical fitness/strength. Most critics of a driver’s athleticism feel that turning a steering wheel requires little to no physical exertion on the part of the driver. However, a study performed by the University of Marquette in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, found that the most common requirements needed for a racecar driver of any type are “upper body strength for steering, torso strengthening to handle G forces, and leg strengthening for braking and throttle work” (Ebben et al.). To build up these strengths to handle driving a car, drivers participate in a variety of fitness activities from marathons to weightlifting in the gym. Sometimes, drivers even build up their strength and fitness by doing training events before hopping in the racecar. Before qualifying for the 2013 Daytona 500, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Michael Waltrip, and Aric Almirola ran a half marathon in the freezing conditions of February at the track. More importantly, “Johnson, 37, and Kahne, 32, finished fourth in their perspective age groups” (Gluck). This is an impressive feat because it proves that drivers perform in these fitness activities and do not just act like athletes, but that they can actually compete with the best trained competitors in the world outside of the racecar.
While endurance and physical fitness/strength are considered the fundamental athletic traits, mental focus is crucial to success in athletic endeavors. It is critically important to NASCAR drivers because of the amount of problems that can occur within tenths of a second. In a study done by Steven Olvey, a former University of Miami neuro-critical care physician, he “found that the reaction time of race car drivers is about 33% quicker than that of the average person” (Anderson). To further emphasize the point, ESPN’s Sports Science performed an experiment on Carl Edwards using a new piece of technology that can test a person’s awareness and visual agility. While tapping on a series of flashing lights and repeating numbers that were flashed in front of his eyes, Edwards also had to listen to speakers blasting noises in the decibel range of a typical race track. While this test was challenging, Edwards “performed brilliantly, with times averaging under a half a second” (Brenkus). Even with the unprecedented variables surrounding their activities at every race, drivers can always concentrate on the task at hand. No matter what obstacle comes in front of them, a driver can dodge it and avoid it within a couple of inches. A NASCAR driver’s mental focus is a vital characteristic for all drivers to have and it is a trait that separates the good from the great.
Since its inaugural racing season in 1948, the sport of NASCAR has captured the attention of millions of thrill seekers, car enthusiasts, and engineering geniuses. The sport has evolved significantly over the last sixty-nine years to improve issues with safety and car technology. Yet, one thing has seemingly remained the same over the years: the endurance and passion of the drivers. Each generation of NASCAR has featured stories that showed these traits. Richard Petty, a seven-time NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series champion, won the 1979 Daytona 500 two months after having serious stomach surgery that would have kept an average athlete on the sidelines for the entire season. Today, drivers have that same endurance and passion even in the face of adversity. In 2015, Kyle Busch broke his leg and foot in a crash at Daytona International Speedway, but he hopped in the car three months later and battled to win his first NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series championship. Unfortunately, drivers from both generations are never recognized as athletes. They are still just considered rough and tumble rednecks with a single skill of driving a racecar. Nonetheless, drivers past and present have hopped behind the wheel of a racecar to the cheers of fans without considering the critics. In the end, ESPN’s Sports Science sums it up best with their conclusion: “NASCAR drivers are some of the best athletes on the planet, with reaction times, endurance, strength and concentration that rival the best in any sport” (Brenkus). While critics remain vigilant in their belief that NASCAR drivers are not athletes, evidence from a variety of sources has proven that these drivers are truly athletes.
Works Cited
Anderson, Lars. "What It Takes to Take The Wheel." Sports Illustrated, 19 Dec. 2008, Academic Search Premier. web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=f34246bc-ee69-4157-90f0-b92f9ca78713%40sessionmgr4009&vid=2&hid=4212&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=35546038&db=aph.
Brenkus, John. “Carl Edwards' Fitness Advantage.” ESPN, 17 May 2011, www.espn.com
/espn/sportscience/news/story?id=6559870
Carlson, Lara A., David P. Ferguson, and Robert W. Kenefick. "Physiological Strain of Stock Car Drivers During Competitive Racing." Journal of Thermal Biology, vol. 44, 2011, pp. 20-26. Academic Search Premier. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.06.001.
Ebben, W P, T J Suchomel, and L R Garceau. "Pilot Study of the Physical Demands and Conditioning Practices of Short Track Stock Car Drivers." Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, vol. 25, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011, Academic Search Premier. doi: 10.1097/01.JSC.0000395615.54713.04.
Gluck, Jeff. "Does Being Fit Provide Advantage?" USA Today, 22 Feb. 2013, Academic Search Premier. eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.usca.edu:2048/ehost/detail/detail?sid=eb74cf95-fea8-4876-b20e-e1ed11a8cd42%40sessionmgr102&vid=0&hid=127&bdata
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Jenkins, Chris., and Mike Hembree. “Kurt Busch Double Ends with Blown Engine in Coke 600.” USA Today, 25 May 2014, www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/indycar/2014/05/25/
kurt-busch-double-indy-500-coca-cola-600-completes-wins-finishes/9569179/.
Patrick, Dan. "Just My Type." Sports Illustrated, vol. 115, no. 4, 1 Aug. 2011, pp. 20. Academic Search Premier. eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.usca.edu:2048/ehost/detail/detail?sid
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&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=64076274.
Images:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2015/05/06/jimmie-johnson-bikes-runs-fans-nascar-tracks-talladega/26964073/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y34eO4bDe4
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