Hold up... let's not confuse 'SPORT' with 'ATHLETE'
Everyone is defining NASCAR as a 'sport' by citing athleticism. This is nice, but just cause someone is an ATHLETE doesn't mean he or she participates in a SPORT.
Why NASCAR is not a sport:
1. There are no set rules. Noone, including the participants, no if and when a race will end. This is because NASCAR is reluctant to end races under caution conditions. Sometimes they may just decide to through a red flag and stop the cars. Although unpopular, the rules should allow for the race to end under caution conditions - like any other sport, uniform rules.
2. There are no set rules. There are no set penalties for dealing with cheaters, and people seem to cheat every week. Usually, if you read every inch of the sports page, you will find that on Wednesday, NASCAR docks a team several points for this or that. It is not uniform, but arbitrary. Sports have rules, and enforce them. People seem very willing to cheat in NASCAR, and NASCAR is not willing to put a stop to it.
3. There are no set rules. Because racin' back to the start/finish line allows some competitors to get back on the lead lap, and is generally more excitin', NASCAR is reluctant to ban the practice. Again, noone really knows what the rules are.
4. I'm sure there are many, many others, but I don't follow it.
NASCAR is sports entertainment, just like wrestling. There are heros and villans (point-in-case, Kurt Busch, who drives like the late Earnhardt, but is somehow made a villian).
NASCAR is running a show, just like WWE is running a show. This is why they are reluctant to have actual rules - because you would need to enforce them. If Earnhardt Jr. runs an illegal set-up, you'd need to enforce it by taking away his race points and banning him from the next stop. But this would ruin the next show.
NASCAR is not a sport because it doesn't have uniform rules.
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