Racing as a Sport? Please justify this for me.

[ruim20]

Wait a minute...I missed this one...

I can kill every woman in the world with my bare hands. There isn't a female alive that could stand up to my punch. My MANLY punch to her face would BREAK her. Don't compare me. Don't.

YOU NEED TO GET PROFESSIONAL HELP!

There is still time to try and save yourself from the complete lunacy that is inside you!

You must understand that you have a serius mental problem, please seek help.

[Kooper]

Interesting question.

The way I see it is that racing drivers do not fall in the same category as professional ball-sport and track-and-field athletes, but they do compete in a sport.

I wouldn't call them athletes though, just professional racing drivers or professional racing navigators.


Athletes? I guess partly.

[henk4]

This is an example of physical exhaustion. I shot Marcus Lieb (a Porsche factory supported driver) having come in after a stint in the 2006 LMS race at the Nuerburgring GP track. He was fighting for the lead. After having been helped out by his teammate, the crew had to lay him down in the box. The weather wasn't even particularly hot. The car however had no problems to continue....

[Kooper]

This is an example of physical exhaustion. I shot Marcus Lieb (a Porsche factory supported driver) having come in after a stint in the 2006 LMS race at the Nuerburgring GP track. He was fighting for the lead. After having been helped out by his teammate, the crew had to lay him down in the box. The weather wasn't even particularly hot. The car however had no problems to continue....

Yep, racing is definitely a physically and mentally grueling activity. If it isn't a sport, maybe the term 'competitive showcase' will suffice?

I mean, it is a showcase of people with extraordinary hand-eye coordination, concentration, stamina and pure bravado. It's also a showcase in some cases of the engineering power that went into the equipment the racedrivers use.

It's the best of a combination of those qualities which makes a racedriver, as well of engineering and ingenuity.


Sport in a sense, yet so much more.

[Matra et Alpine]

Or how about this .... 2 hours driving flat out in scorching heat ( record hottest ever ) with no aircon and then getting out to push to finish.
YouTube - nigel mansell highlights
See at 03:25

[ringle]

Your question is misleading. Racing is not a sport. Auto racing is a business, plain and simple. Unless of course you are referring to amateur hobby racing. Be it F1, NASCAR, ALMS, LMS, WRC, etc. all have the goal of selling more cars/engines/parts, at a profit to the lowly consumer (read race fan). The drivers are simply highly paid professionals. Athletes...no, not by a long shot.

[RacingManiac]

The drivers are simply highly paid professionals. Athletes...no, not by a long shot.

Why not? Because they don't have any physical exertion since they are ONLY driving a car? I mean going back to Tiger Woods' example, is he not simply promoting Nike's golf equipment and help the company make a profit? Whatabout Cyclist endorsing a brand of bicycles?

[lith8872]

I shot Marcus Lieb

well that wasn't very nice of you

[Matra et Alpine]

well that wasn't very nice of you

[Alastor]

Your question is misleading. Racing is not a sport. Auto racing is a business, plain and simple. Unless of course you are referring to amateur hobby racing. Be it F1, NASCAR, ALMS, LMS, WRC, etc. all have the goal of selling more cars/engines/parts, at a profit to the lowly consumer (read race fan). The drivers are simply highly paid professionals. Athletes...no, not by a long shot.

By your definition isn't every professional sport a business?

[kingofthering]

Ah yes...witch hunting at its best.


You're missing the point.



You don't doubt me, you doubt yourself. YOU can't do it. I can. I'm more physically fit than Schumacher ever was and AT BEST he MAY be able to MATCH ME in a mentally stressful situation.
.

You have got to be f**king kidding me. I was responding to the point you claim he had it all in front of him. No he didn't. He didn't wake up one morning and mommy and daddy handed him a kart and he won an F1 championship later.


Even if you were "physically stronger" than Schumacher (bull, bull,no questions) I'm willing to bet money you'd drop out of a head-to-head F1 race. But since you're what and God, I'm going to say you'd begin to claim he cheated.

Wait a minute...I missed this one...

I can kill every woman in the world with my bare hands. There isn't a female alive that could stand up to my punch. My MANLY punch to her face would BREAK her. Don't compare me. Don't.

My....Dear...God... (shakes head)

Is your ego that big that you would blindly fall into a trap and expose your weaknesses for further humiliation?

But even Riflery is a sport. As the coach I know said, it's mostly mental work. It's not some walk up and fire a few damn shots. It takes finesse, mental strength, and experience. I'd like to see you, Mr. Football player, pick up, load a rifle, and hit 10 bull-eyes in a row.

Of course, you'd miss and start saying how you intentionally "failed" to avoid humiliating the rest of us, and how you'd be able to nail them all with an AK-47. Blindfolded.

[h22a]

guys why are we responding to this utter crud. We all know -what- is a complete ****en goose and just stirs shit for the sake of it.

small dick, no job, no car, living with parents, insanely huge porn collection = -what-

[DesmoRob]

I'm not trying to ruffle feathers, I'm trying to understand. I'm trying to understand why race car drivers consider themselves to be ATHLETES. Athletes? Serious?

Answer this...is John Force a professional athlete? Jeff Gordon? Schumacher?


Why is racing considered a "sport" and their drivers "athletes" when 99% of the race depends on the CAR.

Are jockeys professional athletes? Are pilots athletes?



I like racing. I like it...but I want to understand the logic.


What about the dude sitting in the driver seat of the rally cars that tells the driver his upcoming route...is he an athlete? Has there been a race car driver that achieved an injury from over-stressing while performing his "sport"?


I am not trying to offend anyone.
__________________

Race car drivers have to work out in order to stay in fit mental and physical condition to perform properly. In case you aren't aware, racing isn't a cake walk. Have you seen schumacher?? His neck is probably twice the size of one of your thighs, from fighting G forces through corners all day long. Racing is a sport, and its called MOTOR sport. I emphasized the word 'motor' there because the sport is based on cars and their manufacturers competing against each other. The people that drive them have to have the best skills in order to show the full potential of the car. So in a nutshell, really its not so much about the people, but rather the car. By no means does that mean that the drivers aren't real athletes. Not everyone is cut out for the job. You try doing the 24 hours of le mans and get back to me.

[Rockefella]

He may not respond at this point.

[RacingManiac]

don't try the 24 hours of Le Mans, just try one of those 3 hour Kart races that I've seen at all sorts of local Kart track.....Meant for 3 guys per team, my race mechanic ex-coworker did the whole thing by himself, needs 2 guys to lift him from the Kart after....