One of the longest-running debates in the world is whether NASCAR drivers should be categorized as athletes. The argument made against this is that drivers don’t have to push the physical abilities of their bodies to the maximum behind the wheel. Former crew chief Steve Letarte voiced yet another reason why they aren’t considered athletes and noted hypocrisy in the same.
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He said on “Awful Announcing” that drivers are indistinguishable when put in a crowd of random people. They aren’t trained to be bulky or heavyweight and their bodies are pretty much regular at first-look.
But this doesn’t translate to their physical capabilities being on the same level as an ordinary person. He pointed out how gymnasts were pretty much the same but their categorization as athletes doesn’t come under question.
He added, “Their physical ability to drive a race car is an athletic quality because… I can assure you they’re athletes because if they weren’t, I would be a race car driver. Because I can tell you exactly how it should be done.” Letarte believes that if drivers weren’t athletes anybody who knew how the car should be driven would be able to race and win on the track.
He contends that it is their athleticism that helps them steer a 3,000-pound machine at 200 miles per hour around a race track for hours. The level of physical exertion that is required for this job cannot be understated. The temperature inside cars ranges between 100 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This can cause them to lose up to 12 pounds of fluid during a race.
Such demands make it essential for them to stay hydrated and energized throughout an event. Drivers do this through different means. The first among them is to keep their body weight in check. They undergo severe endurance training sessions for this. They also consume 20 to 40 ounces of liquid per hour when racing. Fire retardant suits and cooling systems in the seats also help manage the body temperatures.
It is not uncommon to see them consuming food in the car occasionally. Jeff Gordon once asked for a hot dog during a race. Others like Jimmie Johnson preferred drinks such as red Gatorade. Although NASCAR or motorsports isn’t included in events like the Olympic Games, drivers are very much athletes considering the physical and mental stress they have to overcome.
