View Poll Results: Do you think auto-racing is a sport and are race car drivers athletes?
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Do you think auto-racing is a sport and are race car drivers athletes?
12-01-2008, 06:19 PM
#41
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Originally Posted by NoMoreWRX,Mar 1 2003, 08:06 AM
Any game where you can easily DIE at any moment is a sport.
Anyone who plays that game for several hours is an athlete.
Of course this does remove most popular "sports" from the classification. But hey, risking death brings it up a level doesn't it
-Ed
Anyone who plays that game for several hours is an athlete.
Of course this does remove most popular "sports" from the classification. But hey, risking death brings it up a level doesn't it
-Ed
F1 or MotoGP 2 and Superbike racing at the Isle of Mann (where at least one rider is killed it seems when they race there) are the ultimate put in on the line sports.
I played stick and ball sports as a child, but dragging a knee at turn 8 at Willow Springs and you will see God (if you believe in such) when you lose grip. Spinning your rear tire on the banking at Daytona will get your heart raising. Grown men playing little boys sports always cracks me up. Can anyone explain why you have old fat guys wearing uniforms to coach baseball (I think the only activity that does that)? No other team sport I think does that. Then there's basketball were most players seem to come from ghettos, wearing suits and ties? Who goes to a sporting event wearing a suit and tie? Am I to think these thugs are respectable because they are wearing suits?
Any sport were you don't run the risk of dying is for little kids. F1 drivers fitness levels are well documented as are their abilities to think at 190 miles per hour. I see many fat asses in baseball, how much energy does it take to catch a ball and throw it, then sit around for a few innings till you see a ball again
?
12-01-2008, 06:23 PM
#42
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Originally Posted by Bz2005s2k,Dec 1 2008, 04:57 PM
Your point here is off base. You are saying that these F1 drivers are athletes because of what they do when they are NOT driving. The question asked was "Do you think race car drivers are athletes?". Meaning does it make someone an athlete just because they race?
My answer to that is NO, race car drivers are not considered by me to be athletes just because they race cars/bikes. Are most of the good racers in great shape and athletes, probably
I consider an athlete to be someone that uses their body as the major tool to compete. Racers have to endure a lot and also have to have great endurance but the machine is doing most of the work. For the record I raced carts when I was younger so I do understand how much strength it takes to be good.
Yes, some athletes use tools in other sports like baseball, pole vault, etc but their bodies do a large majority of the work.
That all being said if you asked me if professional race car drivers are usually in as good if not better shape then athletes, my answer would be a very strong YES! Greg Biffle is a friend of my fathers and although he is small, he is in great physical shape and very strong
He is fast on his feet too 
My answer to that is NO, race car drivers are not considered by me to be athletes just because they race cars/bikes. Are most of the good racers in great shape and athletes, probably
I consider an athlete to be someone that uses their body as the major tool to compete. Racers have to endure a lot and also have to have great endurance but the machine is doing most of the work. For the record I raced carts when I was younger so I do understand how much strength it takes to be good.
Yes, some athletes use tools in other sports like baseball, pole vault, etc but their bodies do a large majority of the work.
That all being said if you asked me if professional race car drivers are usually in as good if not better shape then athletes, my answer would be a very strong YES! Greg Biffle is a friend of my fathers and although he is small, he is in great physical shape and very strong
He is fast on his feet too 
Since you have never turned a wheel in anger on a track you have no idea what your talking about.
It's better for all involved you stick to kids sports played by grown men
12-01-2008, 07:47 PM
#44
It's all gray area and shouldn't be looked on in absolute terms. For example - I don't consider a professional bowler to be in the same league as Michael Jordan, nor do I think synchronized swimming is more of a sport than the 24 hours of le mans.
12-02-2008, 02:59 AM
#46
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I would say that auto racing is a sport but in some forms the drivers are not athletes....drag racing is an example even though some classes of drag racing exert g-loads in excess of F1 drivers for a short period of time
12-02-2008, 05:58 AM
#47
Originally Posted by Johnny Sack,Dec 1 2008, 06:48 PM
if you answered "no" to this poll... youve never raced a car on a track or autox.
More "Chins" than Chinatown. First time I've heard of that.
At the end of it all, there's no right or wrong. It's all opinion. Mine just happens to be the correct one.
12-02-2008, 07:16 AM
#48
Registered User
Originally Posted by WFO Racer,Dec 1 2008, 08:23 PM
Even if I gave you some money, you still couldn't buy a clue
Since you have never turned a wheel in anger on a track you have no idea what your talking about.
It's better for all involved you stick to kids sports played by grown men
Since you have never turned a wheel in anger on a track you have no idea what your talking about.
It's better for all involved you stick to kids sports played by grown men
If I gave you some money maybe you could hire a tutor to teach you how to read. Racing is and has been a large part of my life since I was very young. I started racing Carts when I was 7 and I still race them to this day for fun. I have never been to the track in my S but I have been to an Auto X twice. I have also raced 500hp modified cars on a clay track many times.
Read my post before you open your mouth next time
12-02-2008, 07:32 AM
#49
Originally Posted by bloodzombie,Dec 1 2008, 04:08 PM
The only way that your post makes any sense at all is if you ignore the definition of the words.
In my analogy, a poker player would be considered an athlete. To me poker is a game, not a sport. 80 year old players in all night bingo tournaments in a casino have endurance (fueled by cigarettes and coffee) and I don't know that I would call them athletes. But they fit the definitions posted on this thread. They have endurance and are in a competitive contest. You might say bingo is a game of chance, ok, change it to scrabble and the point remains.
In auto racing a guy can win not because of his own skill alone, but his crew is better, the parts in his car don't fail, his machine is superior, he has more financial support, etc. Its not man versus man in a contest that relies only on skill. Skill is a part of it, but just a fraction.
To me, the definitions are flawed. Consider it what you want, I'll just choose to consider it something else.
12-02-2008, 08:04 AM
#50
Originally Posted by vader1,Dec 2 2008, 10:32 AM
In auto racing a guy can win not because of his own skill, but his crew is better, the parts in his car don't fail, his machine is superior, he has more financial support, etc. Its not man versus man in a contest that relies only on skill. Skill is a part of it, but just a fraction.