Why NASCAR Can Never Be a Part of the Olympics

The world is a few hours away from witnessing the Paris 2024 Olympics. As professional athletes from around the world prepare to represent and make their countries proud in the upcoming games, professional racing drivers sit by the sidelines without an entry ticket to participate. Asked if racing ought to be inducted into the Olympics in the future, Kyle Larson revealed his stand at Nashville earlier this year.

The first hurdle that popped up in his head was about how he could possibly push an Olympic schedule inside his already busy racing calendar. The second was about what cars drivers from different disciplines would drive if motorsports as a whole did get into the games. With a reporter suggesting that we now have generic cars, he replied, “No, we don’t. Wouldn’t be that generic to Max Verstappen.”

“I just don’t know how. Racing’s too broad and big, you know. I don’t know how you would do it.” Notably, auto racing was on the list of games in consideration to be added to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Back in August 2023 when it was still in contention for induction, Larson was completely excited about the idea of racing an Olympic gold.

He said, “To get the chance to compete for an Olympic medal or just compete in the Olympics would be life-changing. (It’s) an opportunity that none of us probably ever dreamed was possible.” -he told Frontstretch. Continuing to express the same doubt that he has now, he wondered how the best race car drivers in the world would be chosen considering how many disciplines there are.

Why is auto racing not included in the Olympic games?

Larson’s dream of winning an Olympic medal was short-lived. Though racing was on the list to be presented before the International Olympic Committee session in October 2023 at Mumbai, it was left out of the final proposal. One of the reasons why motorsports hasn’t been a part of the games in all these years is because it is viewed as something that doesn’t test the peak physical abilities of humans.

However, as exhibited by several disciplines of racing globally, drivers endure massive physical strain as they undertake the commitment of racing in what are typically 3-4-hour-long races, often losing significant body mass as well as enduring massive sustained G-forces.

With such demands from a driver who is not only physically but mentally taxed as he drives amongst a pack of cars at breakneck speeds, there is something to be said against the argument of racing not testing a human’s peak physical abilities.

Notably, in 2018, karting was included in the Youth Olympic Games that were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Do these recent showcases of promise mean that we could see cars racing for gold medals sometime in the future? The answer lies with the five Olympic rings that symbolize the union of the five continents.