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?
12-02-2008, 03:53 PM
#62
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Originally Posted by Luckyaze,Dec 2 2008, 05:00 PM
^^^^So just because you're on a team, but you're a bench warmer, are you still consider an athlete?
In most team games you can "hide" people that are not athletes. Racing is one of those games IMO. You can have one of the greatest teams in the world like the Rosch Team in NASCAR and I believe that they could get away with a great season with an average driver in which I would not consider an athlete.
Now you throw a great driver in the mix and you have a winning season. Bottomline is it takes much much more then just a good driver to be good in most types of racing. F1 I think is one of the exceptions where the driver is more of an athlete then any other form of racing.
NASCAR, Drag Racing, and the likes can get away with non-athlete types and still win IMO
Your driver still has to have skills but does not need to be an athlete 
Obviously this is only my opinion
12-02-2008, 04:10 PM
#63
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Years ago, I'm thinking about 15 or so, one of the magazines tested athletes from football, baseball, motocross, other sports as well, and auto racing to see who was in the best physical condition.
The race car drivers won, closely followed by the motocross racers.
In the article the physicians who tested the race car drivers were stunned to learn of how they were able to sustain a heartrate which had never been thought possible.
Their endurance level was much higher than any of the team sport players as well. Not surprising when you consider the interior of many race vehicles is at a constant of over 120 degrees. And yet during all of this, sometimes for hours at a time, they had to make split second decisions at speeds approaching or above 200mph.
I have tried to find the actual article with no luck but if you google race driver conditioning it may open your eyes.
Anyone who doesn't believe these guys are athletes has no clue of what they are speaking about. Period.
The race car drivers won, closely followed by the motocross racers.
In the article the physicians who tested the race car drivers were stunned to learn of how they were able to sustain a heartrate which had never been thought possible.
Their endurance level was much higher than any of the team sport players as well. Not surprising when you consider the interior of many race vehicles is at a constant of over 120 degrees. And yet during all of this, sometimes for hours at a time, they had to make split second decisions at speeds approaching or above 200mph.
I have tried to find the actual article with no luck but if you google race driver conditioning it may open your eyes.
Anyone who doesn't believe these guys are athletes has no clue of what they are speaking about. Period.
12-02-2008, 04:39 PM
#64
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Originally Posted by Bz2005s2k,Dec 2 2008, 04:53 PM
NASCAR, Drag Racing, and the likes can get away with non-athlete types and still win IMO Your driver still has to have skills but does not need to be an athlete
Obviously this is only my opinion
Your driver still has to have skills but does not need to be an athlete Obviously this is only my opinion
Have you ever track your car for a full day? Now try doing that competitively at the highest level in the world. That require so much skill, stamina, endurance etc. BTW, if you never been to the track and drive your car then forget what I just said.
12-02-2008, 05:39 PM
#66
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YES and YES.
I've done auto-x, track days, and HPDE in my S2k and there's really no doubt in my mind that race car drivers are athletes in every sense of the word. They have my utmost respect! I was a diehard football fan until I was introduced to and participated in the world of motorsports.
I've done auto-x, track days, and HPDE in my S2k and there's really no doubt in my mind that race car drivers are athletes in every sense of the word. They have my utmost respect! I was a diehard football fan until I was introduced to and participated in the world of motorsports.
12-02-2008, 07:20 PM
#67
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Originally Posted by Aerodax,Dec 2 2008, 06:23 PM
I love this poll, it's informative. It lets me know the exact percentage of people that are idiots on this forum...21.38% at the moment.
12-02-2008, 07:29 PM
#68
Originally Posted by Rednine,Dec 2 2008, 07:10 PM
Years ago, I'm thinking about 15 or so, one of the magazines tested athletes from football, baseball, motocross, other sports as well, and auto racing to see who was in the best physical condition.
The race car drivers won, closely followed by the motocross racers.
In the article the physicians who tested the race car drivers were stunned to learn of how they were able to sustain a heartrate which had never been thought possible.
Their endurance level was much higher than any of the team sport players as well. Not surprising when you consider the interior of many race vehicles is at a constant of over 120 degrees. And yet during all of this, sometimes for hours at a time, they had to make split second decisions at speeds approaching or above 200mph.
I have tried to find the actual article with no luck but if you google race driver conditioning it may open your eyes.
Anyone who doesn't believe these guys are athletes has no clue of what they are speaking about. Period.
The race car drivers won, closely followed by the motocross racers.
In the article the physicians who tested the race car drivers were stunned to learn of how they were able to sustain a heartrate which had never been thought possible.
Their endurance level was much higher than any of the team sport players as well. Not surprising when you consider the interior of many race vehicles is at a constant of over 120 degrees. And yet during all of this, sometimes for hours at a time, they had to make split second decisions at speeds approaching or above 200mph.
I have tried to find the actual article with no luck but if you google race driver conditioning it may open your eyes.
Anyone who doesn't believe these guys are athletes has no clue of what they are speaking about. Period.
I've raced motocross and done plenty of DE's (basically racing w/o the prizes and timing), and there is absolutely no comparison. Motocross is the toughest physical activity I've ever done, over motorcycle road racing, mountain bike racing, road cycling, anything on 4 wheels, 1/2 marathon, etc. Big difference between manning the controls of a car vs. having to physically manhandle a 220+ lb. bike that's trying to buck you off over really rough terrain.
From http://blazeof-glory2.blogspot.com/2008/08...-demanding.html
"Most of those that are around the industry and who closely follow the sport of motocross will tell you that motocross athletes are some of the fittest athletes in the world. Someone who would know is Dr. Jeff Spencer, who has trained athletes like Lance Armstrong and Chad Reed. When asked to compare the fitness level of Lance Armstrong to a top motocross racer, Dr. Spencer said,
