In todays world I find myself arguing with people who are unlike me NOT in the business who think they can argue that NASCAR (Stock Car CRacing) is not a sport. Quite the contrary. I will Prove it.

I will begin by saying even though you may not LIKE it, UNDERSTAND it, or have the ability to COMPREHEND it, NASCAR IS A SPORT.

NASCAR style racing involves a driver, a car, and a team in order to compete on even the lowest levels. I have been not only a member of some of these teams, but a driver as well. That is probably why I take it personally when people sat that NASCAR (Motorsports) is not a sport. First take the driver, this person has to be in top notch physical shape in order to wheel a 3,400 pound piece of fire breathing metal around the track for 3+ hours at speeds that exceed 150 MPH. The drives body is put through the ultimate test as he is exposed to close to +3 G's while turning the car at speed, this happens twice a lap, in a 500 lap race that force is being exerted on the body over 1,000 times. It also requires lightening fast reflexes (muscles acting and re acting) in order to avoid causing or getting caught up in a wreck. There is also an amount of force that needs to be exerted on the steering wheel by the drivers arms in order to turn the car. This motion is being carried out for the entire 3+ hours, thousands and thousands of times in a race. The amount of force to even turn the wheel far exceeds that of a normal street car. I have no respect for someone that assumes because he or she can drive a street car down a straight stretch of highway at 60, 70, 80 or even 100 MPH, that they can drive a stock car and maintain control for even one lap at competition speed. That basically covers some of the athleticism of a driver. Now lets move on to the mental strain. A driver has to not only physically handle the car, but mentally he or she is playing a chess game at high speed for 3+ hours. Maneuvering in and out of traffic, separated from other drives by mere inches. Mental capacity plays just as big a part as anything else.

The pit crew, some of the most athletic people I have met in my years of being involved in the sport are members of the pit crew. I speak from experience when I say that being able to change 4 tires, fill the car full of fuel, and make chassis adjustments in 14-18 seconds is more than enough to qualify you as a top athlete. In fact many of the top NASCAR teams are recruiting their pit crew members at top collages around the country. Take my role on the pit crew, the jack-man. You may think that there is no skill involved. Just wait. In the time it takes most people to pop the trunk and even think of grabbing a jack, I would have had the car off of the ground. The first person over the wall on a pit stop is the jack-man. You need speed, agility, and a whole lot of brute force to lift the right side of a 3,400 pound stock car with a " one pump" jack. I stand 6'4" an weigh in at just over 225 and just performing that one maneuver takes everything I have. Thank God for adrenaline. After the car is in the air within a fraction of a second, I have to reach over, grab the rear tire (weighing in at 35-40 LBS) and rip it from its resting place once the last lug nut is removed. I am pulling on it before that last nut is off, to try and make some time, fractions of a second. After the tire is off it it laid to rest where the rear tire carrier can either reach it and take it to the pit wall or I roll it around the tire carrier to the pit wall. Within a heartbeat my hands are springing back to the jack handle to drop the left right side of the car once the last lug nut is hit by the tire changers. A twist of the wrist and the car is back on the ground... now for the hard part. You sprint around the front of the beast to service the left side... the heavy side of the car. The left side is the heavy side because (a.) you have just preformed an incredible task in under 8 seconds, and (b.) the left side is literally the heavier side of the car, because of lead ballast in the frame rails of the car that help it turn left. Now you set your jack and pump the "one pump" jack, but on the left side of the car it takes one full excruciating pump and at the very least a half "bump" pump to get the heavier side of the car in the air. Just a few seconds and your reaction time will determine your drivers ultimate fate. Drop the jack too soon and people get hurt, drop it an instant too late and you could loose a hundred feet on the race track, and that could cost you the race.

Now you don’t call these guys athletes and professionals. I care to disagree.

Not to mention the danger. I have seen fuel erupt in a ball of fire on pit road, I have seen collisions on pit road that cause serious injuries, I have even been clipped by my own driver as he came in for a pit stop. Not only is it a SPORT, but a dangerous and rewarding one at that.

NASCAR IS A SPORT! PERIOD. END OF SENTANCE. READ MY PREVIOUS POST, AT LEAST THE LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS!

But hey dont just take my word for it, Former DRIVER (Go-Karts at age 5, Quarter Midgit Stock Cars by 9, Late Model Super Modifieds by 10, 3/4 Trucks by 15. Unfortunatley my parents ran in to money problems and I had to stop racing and become a spectator until I was able to get back in to the SPORT at the age of 18, as a crew member. Ever since I have been going "over the wall" for countless teams, most notibly, Benny Gordon, 2005 USAR Hooters Pro Cup CHAMPION. I am sick and tired of having to defent my SPORT to snot nosed little pukes, and ignorant know it all d-bags that think their out of shape 300 pound arse could do what I do every week. It takes speed, agility, nerves of steel and more effort than most other sports.

I have an idea for you. the next time the temperature gets above 90 degrees, put on two sweat shirts, a pair of sweat pants, a ski mask and a full faced motor cycle helmit and go and sit in your car for three houurs. Chances are, not only will you NOT make it 10 minutes, but you WILL be out of breath for the next 5. Then tell me that those guys, my friends and colleagues, are not athleates. Just to prove it, I dont even want you to attempt to drive while preforming my experiment. All you have to do is sit there in the equivalent of a fire suit, backalava, and helmit. Sitting there wont take any musckes at all. BUT DRIVING A STOCK CAR DOES. MUSCLES, BRAINS, AGILITY and so much more.

But what do I know, it is only my PROFESSION!

In todays world I find myself arguing with people who are unlike me NOT in the business who think they can argue that NASCAR (Stock Car CRacing) is not a sport. Quite the contrary. I will Prove it.

I will begin by saying even though you may not LIKE it, UNDERSTAND it, or have the ability to COMPREHEND it, NASCAR IS A SPORT.

NASCAR style racing involves a driver, a car, and a team in order to compete on even the lowest levels. I have been not only a member of some of these teams, but a driver as well. That is probably why I take it personally when people sat that NASCAR (Motorsports) is not a sport. First take the driver, this person has to be in top notch physical shape in order to wheel a 3,400 pound piece of fire breathing metal around the track for 3+ hours at speeds that exceed 150 MPH. The drives body is put through the ultimate test as he is exposed to close to +3 G's while turning the car at speed, this happens twice a lap, in a 500 lap race that force is being exerted on the body over 1,000 times. It also requires lightening fast reflexes (muscles acting and re acting) in order to avoid causing or getting caught up in a wreck. There is also an amount of force that needs to be exerted on the steering wheel by the drivers arms in order to turn the car. This motion is being carried out for the entire 3+ hours, thousands and thousands of times in a race. The amount of force to even turn the wheel far exceeds that of a normal street car. I have no respect for someone that assumes because he or she can drive a street car down a straight stretch of highway at 60, 70, 80 or even 100 MPH, that they can drive a stock car and maintain control for even one lap at competition speed. That basically covers some of the athleticism of a driver. Now lets move on to the mental strain. A driver has to not only physically handle the car, but mentally he or she is playing a chess game at high speed for 3+ hours. Maneuvering in and out of traffic, separated from other drives by mere inches. Mental capacity plays just as big a part as anything else.

The pit crew, some of the most athletic people I have met in my years of being involved in the sport are members of the pit crew. I speak from experience when I say that being able to change 4 tires, fill the car full of fuel, and make chassis adjustments in 14-18 seconds is more than enough to qualify you as a top athlete. In fact many of the top NASCAR teams are recruiting their pit crew members at top collages around the country. Take my role on the pit crew, the jack-man. You may think that there is no skill involved. Just wait. In the time it takes most people to pop the trunk and even think of grabbing a jack, I would have had the car off of the ground. The first person over the wall on a pit stop is the jack-man. You need speed, agility, and a whole lot of brute force to lift the right side of a 3,400 pound stock car with a " one pump" jack. I stand 6'4" an weigh in at just over 225 and just performing that one maneuver takes everything I have. Thank God for adrenaline. After the car is in the air within a fraction of a second, I have to reach over, grab the rear tire (weighing in at 35-40 LBS) and rip it from its resting place once the last lug nut is removed. I am pulling on it before that last nut is off, to try and make some time, fractions of a second. After the tire is off it it laid to rest where the rear tire carrier can either reach it and take it to the pit wall or I roll it around the tire carrier to the pit wall. Within a heartbeat my hands are springing back to the jack handle to drop the left right side of the car once the last lug nut is hit by the tire changers. A twist of the wrist and the car is back on the ground... now for the hard part. You sprint around the front of the beast to service the left side... the heavy side of the car. The left side is the heavy side because (a.) you have just preformed an incredible task in under 8 seconds, and (b.) the left side is literally the heavier side of the car, because of lead ballast in the frame rails of the car that help it turn left. Now you set your jack and pump the "one pump" jack, but on the left side of the car it takes one full excruciating pump and at the very least a half "bump" pump to get the heavier side of the car in the air. Just a few seconds and your reaction time will determine your drivers ultimate fate. Drop the jack too soon and people get hurt, drop it an instant too late and you could loose a hundred feet on the race track, and that could cost you the race.

Now you don’t call these guys athletes and professionals. I care to disagree.

Not to mention the danger. I have seen fuel erupt in a ball of fire on pit road, I have seen collisions on pit road that cause serious injuries, I have even been clipped by my own driver as he came in for a pit stop. Not only is it a SPORT, but a dangerous and rewarding one at that.

NASCAR IS A SPORT! PERIOD. END OF SENTANCE. READ MY PREVIOUS POST, AT LEAST THE LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS!

But hey dont just take my word for it, Former DRIVER (Go-Karts at age 5, Quarter Midgit Stock Cars by 9, Late Model Super Modifieds by 10, 3/4 Trucks by 15. Unfortunatley my parents ran in to money problems and I had to stop racing and become a spectator until I was able to get back in to the SPORT at the age of 18, as a crew member. Ever since I have been going "over the wall" for countless teams, most notibly, Benny Gordon, 2005 USAR Hooters Pro Cup CHAMPION. I am sick and tired of having to defent my SPORT to snot nosed little pukes, and ignorant know it all d-bags that think their out of shape 300 pound arse could do what I do every week. It takes speed, agility, nerves of steel and more effort than most other sports.

I have an idea for you. the next time the temperature gets above 90 degrees, put on two sweat shirts, a pair of sweat pants, a ski mask and a full faced motor cycle helmit and go and sit in your car for three houurs. Chances are, not only will you NOT make it 10 minutes, but you WILL be out of breath for the next 5. Then tell me that those guys, my friends and colleagues, are not athleates. Just to prove it, I dont even want you to attempt to drive while preforming my experiment. All you have to do is sit there in the equivalent of a fire suit, backalava, and helmit. Sitting there wont take any musckes at all. BUT DRIVING A STOCK CAR DOES. MUSCLES, BRAINS, AGILITY and so much more.

But what do I know, it is only my PROFESSION!