Posted in: Other - Auto Racing
hugie asked:
Is there any skill involved, or is it just the car you drive. Have you ever actually watched a whole race.
Is there any skill involved, or is it just the car you drive. Have you ever actually watched a whole race.
Formula 1 is more of a sport then NASCAR, and there is a bit of skill in the turns and stuff, but they are still both just based on the car you drive.
Thanks for the nice answers, I think it involves a bit more skill now. Do you consider the drivers athletes.
Hemingway is a retard.
June 13th 2009
They are considered sports and there is a lot of skill involved, along with strategy and little things that make a difference in the racing world. But I would never in my life call these guys athletes, all they do is drive fast. I don’t like the fact that car racing is called a sport but can live with it as long as the drivers are never called athletes.
June 15th 2009
It is called motorsports for a reason. It is not only the car that you drive but also various skills are involved. There’s more than 60 laps in the formula 1 races and it is very physically demanding sports. Concentration and strengh. It is also a very dangerous sports as many have died because of it. One of the example is the legendary Aryton Senna himself. If you dont have the energy or concentration or even the power to handle the pressure of the sound, weather and steering itself, one little mistake would cause your life. It isnt as easy as many other so called sports like bowling or snooker. You risk your life many a times.
Of course when it comes to F1 of NASCAR, the car you drive might give you the edge but if you arent a good driver, it doesnt make much differences. Take the A1 GP for example. All the cars are the same. Its just the drivers that are from different countries. So what do you make of that?
June 16th 2009
Yes just like Olympic games. Javelin thrower. Bob sled Lay on a sled go down a hill. They are all sports because it is competition and takes endurance.
June 18th 2009
i believe its a sport because it requires skills just like any other sport out there. If figure skating can be considered a sport…car racing is a sport…
June 18th 2009
Okay, go out and get in your car - buckle up - and go find a mile oval somewhere - then drive around it as fast as you can for 600 laps with 40 of your closest buddies.
I guarantee you that before you end the race, your going to be in some pain from all the turning of the 3500 lb. vehicle you’re driving at high speeds around and around.
It’s very demanding on the body and the mind, like most other athletic events - it’s very physical.
Sure, the car has a little to do with it, but it’s mostly the driver, his equipment, his crew (the guys making things work in the background), his conditioning, and some luck.
Yes, it’s a legitimate sport.
June 23rd 2009
I totally disagree. They are both sports and you better believe it. It does matter on how your car handles but those sports are totally different. It also depends on a drivers talent and determination to do good in a race. I watch every single race on TV for NASCAR from start to end without missing a minute of the race. There is a ton of skill in both but NASCAR deals wiht a lot of stuff that F1 doesn’t deal wiht and vice versa but I think NASCAR is more of a sport. Just my opinion and I think that NASCAR has better drivers and more publicity as well.
June 24th 2009
Yes, NASCAR and Formula 1 or any other auto racing series is considered a sport. Sport (noun) 1: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature…
Obviously, a race is a competitive event, so this just leads to your next question about if there is a bit of skill involved or if it is just the car. The truth is there is not a bit of skill involved, there is a massive amount of skill involved! If you would like a demonstration of this, find the fastest car you can, and go out to a track event where experienced drivers are in cars that are much MUCH slower than your’s; then watch as they zip past you over and over again like you are standing still. You can have a car with twice the power, half the weight, and much better brakes and suspension, but if you the driver can’t use that, it’s all meaningless.
Now, at the top level of motorsports, you are dealing with the top 1/100% or so of drivers in the entire world. The worst driver here is better than just about anyone else in the entire world! So at this level, the ability to work the stategy of a race, properly test and setup the car to maximize it’s abilities, and the team’s ability to build and prepare a car become key to winning and overall success. But the driver is ultimately still the biggest piece of the puzzle.
Further, most motorsports do not simply require the skill, but can be very physically demanding too. Racing a car is not akin to driving a car on the freeway. There are not even that many similarities. There are vast differences in the physcial demands that come along with different cars and different types of racing, as there are also different skills or different emphisis of skills, but they all require skill and at least some degree of athletcism and endurance.
June 27th 2009
Formula One racing is a sport for the duration of the race(s); the rest of the time it’s a business. Of course, the same can be said about stick-and-ball or just plain ball activities.
June 28th 2009
As Ernest Heminway said - there are only three sports - bull fighting, mountain climbing, and auto racing. Everythig else is “just” a game. Hope that helps clear it up for you!
June 30th 2009
Formula 1 is a sport.
Nascar is NOT a sport.
hands down.
June 30th 2009
How many of those answering ‘no’ have actually raced a car?
Yeah, that’s what I thought: none.
%$^&*@ armchair athletes
Yes, having the best equipment makes it easier to win. So does having the most talent, the most skill, the most experience, the best coaching, the best organization, and the most luck.
Just like bicycle racing. Just like slalom skiing. Just like baseball, Just like football, Just like hockey, Just like uneven parallel bars.
etc.
Make a mistake in a football game, drop the ball, what’s the worst that can happen? maybe the crowd boos, and the coach gives you a hard time.
Make a mistake in NASCAR, hit the wall at 200+ MPH, maybe you can die.
Any questions?
July 3rd 2009
I am not a fan of formula 1 nor do I watch it so I can not comment on that. I am however a NASCAR fan and yes I have watched several whole races.
Racing is a sport for several reasons:
1. 43 guys on a mile or less round track
2. It can get over 120 degrees in the cars
3. Theres no power steering
4. They do this for 2-3 hours maybe longer sometimes 2-3
times a week.
5. They dont get breaks like half times or innings like other
sports.
6. They crash into other cars, concrete walls, and spin out
(which means they work to try to control the car)
sometimes 150 - 200 mph.
Believe me these guys are athletes in every sense of the word. If you don’t think so try doing what they do every week.