Is Nascar a Sprot?- Definitional Argument
Is NASCAR a Sport?
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is fairly new to the realm of sports. There is a known debate about whether NASCAR is a sport, some people say it is not a sport, but I say it is. The definition of a sport is “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.”(Webster). In a sport the key factors are the physical capabilities and skills the competitor acquires while determining the outcome, winning or losing. Considering that there are over 43 teams that try to qualify for every NASCAR sanctioned races, it is safe to say that NASCAR reaches the requirement for the competitive part of being a sport. First off, let’s look at the competition aspect of NASCAR compared to other “sports”. Despite what many people want to believe, NASCAR is a team sport. Just like basketball players work to perfect their games during practice, NASCAR drivers and crews are working hard to perfect their cars and their bodies for competition each week For a long time, NASCAR drivers were seen as lazy, fat, and un-athletic; mostly because at the end of their race they got out of a car and drank beer. Welcome to the new sport of NASCAR, not only are they perfecting their cars, their also working hard to keep in shape to be at the top of their game. NASCAR drivers such as Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, and Carl Edwards all demonstrate strict workout routines on a daily basis.
As displayed in the HBO sports special 24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona, a driver, like any athlete to be successful in his sport, must go through intense daily workouts in order to obtain the stamina needed to finish a race. The routines prove similar to receivers in the NFL and baseball players in the MLB. Not only do the drivers go through workouts to build strength, they are put through strenuous aerobic exercise that rivals those of the top bicyclists or runners in the world. They follow strict
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is fairly new to the realm of sports. There is a known debate about whether NASCAR is a sport, some people say it is not a sport, but I say it is. The definition of a sport is “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.”(Webster). In a sport the key factors are the physical capabilities and skills the competitor acquires while determining the outcome, winning or losing. Considering that there are over 43 teams that try to qualify for every NASCAR sanctioned races, it is safe to say that NASCAR reaches the requirement for the competitive part of being a sport. First off, let’s look at the competition aspect of NASCAR compared to other “sports”. Despite what many people want to believe, NASCAR is a team sport. Just like basketball players work to perfect their games during practice, NASCAR drivers and crews are working hard to perfect their cars and their bodies for competition each week For a long time, NASCAR drivers were seen as lazy, fat, and un-athletic; mostly because at the end of their race they got out of a car and drank beer. Welcome to the new sport of NASCAR, not only are they perfecting their cars, their also working hard to keep in shape to be at the top of their game. NASCAR drivers such as Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, and Carl Edwards all demonstrate strict workout routines on a daily basis.
As displayed in the HBO sports special 24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona, a driver, like any athlete to be successful in his sport, must go through intense daily workouts in order to obtain the stamina needed to finish a race. The routines prove similar to receivers in the NFL and baseball players in the MLB. Not only do the drivers go through workouts to build strength, they are put through strenuous aerobic exercise that rivals those of the top bicyclists or runners in the world. They follow strict
Cited: Livingstone, Seth. "Are NASCAR Drivers Athletes? Johnson, Edwards Respond." USA Today. Gannett, 16 July 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. . Stewart, Ben. “NASCAR’s Controversial Car of Tomorrow, Here Today.” Popular Mechanics. 20 March 2010. Web “Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona.” 24/7. HBO. Documentary Series. North Carolina. January February 2010. Television. Mack, Gary, and David Casstevens. Mind Gym: An Athlete 's Guide to Inner Excellence. New York: Contemporary, 2001. Print.