present_future

I'm not saying it's not a sport, i just don't particularly enjoy watching it. I do however like racing. (Just ask the local po-po they love chasing me.)

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Dano069

Jimmy Spencer's suspension
Vs.
Kevin Harvick's fine

Discuss

(Yes, that IS heavy sarcasm you detect!)

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bundy

ok, from a non-American perspective... NASCAR is ridiculous.

its not televised here, unless theres a major accident (which seems to be a lot).

but all the other vision we see of it, is simply a massive pack of big cars racing around a track, in formation.

is there tactics, or strategy? or is it just to see who can last the longest driving around that track without crashing into the car next to him?

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Ohayo!!!

The_Dude

i'm sure that u remember harvick's suspension last year for an incident in the truck series.

harvick did not do any physical injury to ricky rudd.

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BigGov

There's more strategy when people think. In F1 the drivers are pushed to the limit, in NASCAR the cars are pushed to the limit. Another thing in NASCAR that interests people is the contact, Bristol is basically a big bumper car race. People also like watching NASCAR because they can see the whole race in the stands, not just a single turn.

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shakran

No way. Rally racing puts you through WAY more hell than NASCAR. You're doing everything the NASCAR drivers are doing except you're driving over rough, boulder-strewn dirt or ice tracks that you've probably never seen before and are a hair away from crashing throughout the race. You're also taking huge jumps at 130+mph and dealing with the resulting crash back to earth. You're going faster on rough bumpy roads than most people ever go on pavement, and on top of all that, you don't HAVE power steering.

Then there's F1, which is as punishing as NASCAR, only you have to learn how to turn right AND your speeds are a good deal higher, meaning all the forces on your body are higher. Added to the fact that if you're a fatass you can't even fit in your car.

Oh and by the way, ever seen a Baja race? "Ironman" Stewart is getting up there in years but he's in better shape than most young guys. You try driving a bouncing, jumping truck at over 100 mph for 1,000 miles (that's more than 10 hours when you count pitstops, etc) on a narrow dirt barely-there track, taking a huge jump around every 3 minutes and in general getting the living hell beat out of you by your own truck, and then tell me how punishing NASCAR is

DownwardSpiral

NASCAR as a sport? Hmm, thats a tough one. I personally woulden't call it a "sport", then again neither is skateboarding, BMX biking, Street Luge or anything like that, in my opinion. All NASCAR is is a bunch of guys driving a car really fast around a track. Risky? Yes. But a sport? No, not to me.

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tgg7979

It amazes me how little some of u guys know about NASCAR. Racing is a sport, and that includes NASCAR. Theres alot more to modern day NASCAR racing than cars goin round and round in circles like some narrowminded Ravens fan seems to think. I say watch 2 entire races and alot of your minds will change.

Im nogt even gonna start on the person who argued that there are no set rules.

rogue49

Whether it's a sport or not is irrelevant.

one word: boring

give me, F1 or Rally

ShaniFaye

To those that say there is no strategy in nascar...have you ever really watched an entire race? Every pit stop is strategic call...how many races have been won and lost on fuel? How many races have been won or lost because of bad calls in the pits or pitting or not pitting at the right/wrong time? To me nascar IS about strategy.

I am sure that the speed skaters in the olympics would really appreciate some one telling them going around in circles isnt a sport. How about horse races? are those not considered a sport either? they go around in circles too.

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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

gov135

No way NASCAR cars are pushed more than F1 cars.

F1 cars need to quite a number of shifts on each lap. They sustain higher natural forces. For example, Juan Montoya AVERAGED one hundred and sixty plus at Monza the other day. Think about it for a second, to average that speed when you spend alot of time in first gear going thirty miles an hour is extraordinary.

F1 drivers aren't just popping it into high gear and moving along. This stresses a car way more than NASCAR cars.

F1 has all of the best engine manufacturers in the world. The cars are the most technologically advanced. And their are few "limits" on what engineers can do in F1, unlke in NASCAR where everything is standard (or suppossed to be).

I also don't think NASCAR contains as much strategy as some people think. I believe the announcers create WAY more suspense then is actually warranted by saying guys a "short" on fuel when they really aren't that close. More importantly, so much strategy depends on when the full-course yellow is thrown, and you can't strategize for that. You are just lucky or unlucky depending on where you are on fuel when the yellow flag is thrown.

Finally, one more reason why I have trouble with NASCAR being a sport. Perhaps someone can 'splain this to me. What the hell is up with the announcers? Are these people bought and paid for by NASCAR? They certainly aren't impartial. They are never critical of NASCAR, they are almost always unwilling to criticize drivers, etc. Listening to these guys reminds me of listening to the old WWF play-by-play guys. Are these guys just a part of the show or something?

gov135

Don't start on anybody.

But if you think you can throughly explain to me that there are set rules you are more than welcome.

archer2371

Apparently you haven't watched any of the specials, like Wally Dallenbach calling out NASCAR to own up and buy their own special care unit that would travel with NASCAR. These guys aren't paid for by NASCAR, they are former NASCAR drivers/crew chiefs, so they know how this stuff works.

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"Hey Grif, Chupathingy...how bout that? I like it...got a ring to it."

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Rainmountain

So, you are saying that an athlete must be in good physical shape?
Have you looked at "Americas sport" baseball players lately?

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The_Dude

and I've seen them criticize the punishments handed out by NASCAR like many people have done in this thread.

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water_boy1999

Ok, so we can see it on ESPN, and they seen to call it a sport, but who are we kidding here? Is a NASCAR driver really an athlete?

archer2371

Oy, here we go again. We've been over this, it takes quite a bit of endurance to go anywhere from 400 miles to 600 miles at a near constant speed from anywhere 120 mph to 195 mph. It also takes some strength to put that car in the preffered line, especially without power steering (when it goes). Most of us have established that a race-car driver is an athlete, but we're still debating over whether it's a sport. Oh, and it's on Fox, NBC, and TNT, not ESPN.

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"This ain't no Ice Cream Social!"

"Hey Grif, Chupathingy...how bout that? I like it...got a ring to it."

"I have no earthly idea what it is I just saw, or what this place is, or where in the hell O'Malley is! My only choice is to blame Grif for coming up with such a flawed plan. Stupid, stupid Grif."

Liquor Dealer

Anyone who thinks Nascar isn't a sport and the drivers aren't athletes has never paid any attention to Nascar. Granted, it is professional, probably more professional than any other sport but it is definitely sport. Watch a pit crew perform its orchestrated magic - you'll never see a Super Bowl offense work together as well as these guys do and, they never really know what to expect when called upon to do their thing. If you think drivers aren't athletes try keeping up with one of them for a day. Put your average pampered pro quarterback in Nomex and stick him into a car for three hours and see how well he holds up. Then there's the coach - Watch Tony Eury make more split-second decisions in three minutes that the Tuna and his forty assistants makes in an entire Sunday and most of those decisions can become matters of life or death in a split-second. Not a sport, if this isn't sport then it is life - speeded up several thousand times.

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muckluck

For all of you who think NASCAR isnt a sport obviously know nothing about it. I'd like to see you drive a 3500lb 700+ hp car with no power steering, and when its 100 degrees + in a Nascar with no head or leg room. Also there is many right hand turns in a race they do go around other cars you know, not just in a straight line. In order to go to the outside of a car you need to turn right. You also need to be smart to race because you need stradegy to win.

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captain

I'll jump in and quote Ernest Hemingway:

" There are only three sports-Mountain Climbing, Bullfighting, and Automobile Racing. All the rest are merely games."

So there.

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captain

nohitters

I totally agree that NASCAR shouldn't be considered a sport. I don't see whats so challenging about driving around in circles for 3 hours straight. I understand that there are skill factors involved with drafting and and other things but if I want to watch racing, I watch real touring car racing where the steering wheel gets use of its 900 degrees of rotation. I saw a shirt on a website one time that was black and it had the nascar logo on it but instead of saying nascar, all it said was BORING. I wanted it so bad.

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For Sale.

dksuddeth

Saying auto racing, NASCAR included, isn't a sport or that it doesn't require athleticism in some way, shape, or form and that its just the fastest car going around in a circle is nothing more than a blaring sign of ignorance.

For those that are fond of denying the sporting authenticity of NASCAR, I challenge you to take a one week racing school course at an approved racing school (like the richard petty driving experience) and come back and say the same thing.

Until then, your statements are just statements of ignorance.

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ShaniFaye

nobody ever addressed the other "circle" sports post I made....thats disappointing.

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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

Ace_O_Spades

You've gotta be fucking kidding me.

Wrestling - Continuous movement and REAL physical exertion over the course of an average match (~5 minutes? I dunno, it's been a while since I wrestled)

Boxing - Much akin to wrestling, but harder, and longer.

Hockey - When you're so bagged physically and mentally after only 20 minutes of total ice time, tell me that NASCAR is harder when NASCAR lasts 4 hours

Do you like to back up your claims or just make ridiculous statements like that all the time?

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Feh.

Ace_O_Spades

"How fortunate for leaders that men do not think."
- Adolf Hitler

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Feh.

gonad

This is absolutely the dumbest thing I've ever heard anyone who isn't President say.

I'm weird in that I can watch NASCAR without wanting to blow my brains out. Fast cars are fun, and cool. I'll watch that on TV, whether it's in a movie, at TV show, or a big oval.

It's definitely NOT a sport.

It's not.

I mean it.

No way.

I'm sure it's hot in the car. It's hot in my car.

Hundreds of cars packed bumper-to-bumper with no turn signals, everyone's driving like a maniac?

That's Dallas traffic. And I have to pay for my car if it gets bumped.

And to say that NASCAR is more physically punishing than hockey, football, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, rugby, cricket, softball, air hockey, paintball, ultimate frisbee, field hockey, croquet, polo, water polo, marco polo, wrestling, women's collegiate basketball, women's professional basketball, YMCA youth league basketball and the Pro Bowl ...

Well that's just insulting.

In short, NASCAR is just like cheerleading.

If you put it on TV, I'll watch it. But it's never going to be a sport.

NEVER.

ever.

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zerosk8

i agree with dksuddeth 100%. Yes maybe NASCAR isnt the most physically straining sport on earth....but there is a huge mental aspect of it required that a lot of people may not understand....now i cant say this with the 1st person knowledge that real drivers have....simply because im not one....but if there wasnt a huge part of it that was mental why would the drivers get so mad and upset if they get sent into the wall or get 2nd in a race.....or get last in a race....it doesnt matter because they are out there to do what every competetor in the world is trying to do..WIN!!...if you dont want to win...than you shouldnt be playing that sport...and when you think about it...mental strain causes the mind to worry and stress...which can result in things like fatigue...which is both a mental and PHYSICAL strain....i personally will always consider NASCAR a sport...thats just my opinion

cyrnel

We have a winner.

Too many words with too little seat time. The fittest go from yahoos & giggles to discovery to humbled in a couple days. It's a wonderful couple days, but with lessons.

If you haven't run hours around a road course at 9/10, going for consistency with that last .1s, be careful with further contributions. Ignorance is ugly however big the sign.

sammy776

I like NASCAR and I watch it when I can but I dont know if making four left turn and a sport. Yes you have to be in shape and yes your mind has to be 110% into it but I still dont know. I would consider more of a sport then Golf, hell in that so called sport you can drive around in a cart drinking a beer and smoke a cigar, but that is a different tread. on second thought I would call it one. now lets see how many people read the whole thing

squirrelyburt

Go ahead and drive 150-200mph for an hour....see how you hold up. i'm not personally a big fan of NASCAR, but it is definitely a very intense sport for the drivers.

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munchen

Since car racing is a sport, then are drag racers amatuer athletes?

There are plenty of... lets say activities that require alot of physical exertion. there are plenty that require mental toughness. I remeber hearing a story about an umm...flute playing woman(flutest?) on the CBC. It was about a camp she was attending where they would play for extreme lenghts of time and at the end of the day she would be exausted, arms burning and lips swollen. That takes alot out of you mentally and physicaly. Is she an athlete?

good ole dictionary.com

sport
#

1. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
2. A particular form of this activity.

# An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
# An active pastime; recreation.

Under this its considered a sport. Many things can be considered a sport. The only problem i have with car racing is the pollution. Other than that who are we to judge other peoples pastimes?

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dksuddeth

For anyone that is even remotely interested in considering NASCAR a sport, lets take a look at how many things need to be done in 1 lap on a short track at, say martinsville speedway. Martinsville is a very short .5 mile oval track thats relatively flat.

At the drop of the green flag, two lines of cars are accelerating out of turn 4 to cross the start/finish line. Theres enough space down the stretch to accomodate MAYBE 4 cars, but to get out of 'line', thats the optimum place for a driver to be to maintain the fastest speed yet have the most control, is a sure way to drop back in spots. As you cross the start/finish line approaching 125-130 miles an hour you ease off the gas and apply the brake. Ease off the gas too fast and your car gets a much shorter rear end while everyone slams into you from behind. Don't ease off fast enough and you're in for an abrupt stop as you slam into the wall because you missed the turn. Too much brake into the turn will give you the breathtaking view of the car that WAS right behind you now t-boning you right in the drivers side door at 70 miles an hour. Too little brake in the turn and you'll slide UP the track towards the wall missing the turn while the entire line behind you dives for the inside track and passes you. Do that too many times and by lap 10 there won't be enough rubber left on your tires to make a pencil eraser. IF, I stress the word IF, you managed to make the turn without being passed you now must accelerate OUT of the turn and down the backstretch. I remind you, this NEXTEL cup car weighs 2 tons.....thats 4,000 pounds of metal being driven by a 720 horsepower engine and the harder you mash that gas pedal, the better your chances of spinning your tires instead of accelerating down the stretch, so do it right the first time. Make sure that as you're navigating this turn, braking into it, speeding out of it, that you don't hit anyone on the left or right of you. That will create a case of road rage the likes of which you've never seen and theres no parking lot to escape to.

So, in the distance of less than a 1/4 mile you've accelerated from 65 to 130 and then decelerated back to around 70 whipping the car through a hairpin turn of 180 degrees just to do the same thing again, and again, and again trying NOT to use up all your tires or burn out your brakes(because slowing down 2 tons of metal is about as easy as standing up to 100 mph hurricane winds). Do this for 500 laps, let me know if it was easy for you because if it was, I've got a job for you.

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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

Esen

I started reading the thread but it was way too painfull, so i don tknow if this has been said yet.

It is a SPORT!
Do you have any Idea how much strategy is involved in Nascar racing.

There is blocking and passing of positions and you have tto help propel our teammates at 186 mph without projecting your car back and smashinginto others.

HAve you ever seen 3 of 4 cars riding side by side around a turn @ 185 mph?

do you realize what happens if they clip each others cars?

How about the coordination of teh pit crew? omg the guys are insane.

My son got me into Nascar; it is probably one of the most intense sports out there.

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What is everyone doing in my room?

Tophat665

Yo, your dudeness. Used to drive Connecticut to Virginia in a non air conditioned car in August on a regular basis. That's 8 hours. Am I an athelete?

Not everythng difficult is a sport! I've been trying to figure out how Shrub won the election, but that won't win me any medals.

Not everything physically unpleasant is a sport, or there's be a competetive enema show on Fox.

NASCAR Drivers are not fat slobs. They are in good shape, but 500 miles in a circle? Forsooth, 'tis balmy as a light struck bat! The pit boss should get the winnings and hire a driver from that. It a competition, not a sport.

(Damn rednecks turning left for 4 hours so they can turn right the rest of the year.)

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ARTelevision

What it's called isn't important to me.
I grew up watching live drag, dirt track, stock, and modified racing. The NASCAR, Indy, and NHRA circuits are on the top eschelon of all that.

Automotive racing is part of my life.
And it's one of the few things involving competition that holds interest for me.

I never see a good reason to discuss semantics in any context.

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JeremyS

I love ignorant people who think of NASCAR as nothing but rednecks.

Anyone who thinks NASCAR isn't a sport, is stupid.

zipzot

Who cares if NASCAR is a sport or not - it is a form of entertainment just like Football, Baseball, Hockey (ah-hem...cough..cough), and Basketball are. There are a lot of perople out there who like to be entertained by fast cars with Tide logos on the hood going in circles and NASCAR serves that market well.

Tophat665

Now that I can get behind. While I personally have no use for motor racing, that does not mean that other people do not, and I can respect that.

However, as Rush Limbaugh is wont to say between pills, "Words Mean Things," so I get irritated when motor racing is called a sport. Though it may fit a strict definition of the word, I do not believe it fits the spirit.

Still, you like your racing, and that's great. My folks, who are northeast liberal intelligencia par excellance, are big NASCAR fans. Never have understood it.

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splck

I don't see NASCAR as a "sport" either. Other than the exiting, suspenceful anouncing, watching cars go round and round is boring as hell. I'll take F1 or rally racing anyday over left turn, left turn, left turn, left turn...bleh

It's a competition, but not a sport.

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nice line eh?

Ace_O_Spades

Anyone who makes broad generalizations doesn't have any credit and their arguments hold no weight.

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Feh.