Many people debate about whether or not NASCAR is a sport. Die hard NASCAR fans would agree that there’s a certain level of sportsmanship involved in auto racing, however people more interested in traditional sports think otherwise.
The biggest argument between NASCAR fans and non-fans is that being a NASCAR driver doesn’t require one to be an athlete. It’s insinuated that anyone can be a racecar driver with practice, since it’s only driving around a track numerous times.
However there’s a huge amount of skill involved in racecar driving that people who aren’t fans of NASCAR wouldn’t notice. NASCAR drivers must practice and train to be able to handle their cars at very high speeds while maintaining their course on the roadway, and trying to beat other racers in record time. There’s a high level of multitasking involved just for a NASCAR driver to be able to focus on the road and drive as fast as possible without wrecking their cars.
The sheer danger of NASCAR racing in general is evidence alone that one must possess expertise skill when it comes to handling a car at high speeds, being able to turn at sharp angles while maintaining speed.
Though it’s possible that any person who can drive could possibly learn the techniques involved in being an expert NASCAR driver, the same is true for a person who wanted to play a traditional professional sport and were training to gain the skills necessary to achieve their goal.
NASCAR is a big industry now which has rapidly gained popularity since the early 2000’s. Over 100,000 fans come to stadiums every week to attend NASCAR events. The same could be said for the patronage others who show their favorite football, baseball, and basketball teams their appreciation by buying tickets and attending games.
So is NASCAR a sport? I say yes!
