Although the debate will rage over whether car drivers are truly "athletes" in the purest form of the word, I gained personal respect for NASCAR drivers this summer, after being given the opportunity to drive an actual race car around Texas Motor Speedway for ten laps at 160 MPH.

The track temp was 103F, and it had to be close to 140 inside the car, and I was wearing a fire suit and helmet.

The amount of physical strength to drive the car wasn't that much, but the level of concentration and focus needed was pretty amazing. Imagine that on a fully-loaded track with a bunch of other drivers going close to 200 MPH for 4 hours straight while getting your brains baked.

Those guys definitely earn their paychecks.

markie_farkie: The amount of physical strength to drive the car wasn't that much, but the level of concentration and focus needed was pretty amazing. Imagine that on a fully-loaded track with a bunch of other drivers going close to 200 MPH for 4 hours straight while getting your brains baked.

Those guys definitely earn their paychecks.

Without a doubt, but they're more like astronauts or test pilots than athletes. I don't consider Buzz Aldrin to have been a "great athlete."

Put me in the category of "these guys aren't athletes".

Vince McMahon should unveil a new sport in which you drive right for hours on end.

It would revolutionize the industry.

Canadian Canuck: They picked this guy over Usain Bolt? Seriously?

Bolt made the mistake of not being American, therefore his accomplishments are trivial.

So I guess Taylor Swift wasn't in the running then.

meh, its just the AP
SI picked Jeter, I'll go with theirs

Mr. Slippyfist: Does this mean I was up for Athlete of the Year when I took the SATs?

Apparently so, assuming you complete them with a passing score while doing 200MPH and mopping sweat out of your eyes every few seconds!

It may only be NASCAR, but he is a fine specimen of a man! I don't know that it makes him athlete of the year or not though.

As a NASCAR fan, I can tell you that while Jimmy Johnson is a helluva driver, he's about as vanilla as NASCAR could possibly hope for. He's boring as hell, and I'm tired of watching him win every damn race. But that's what NASCAR wants: a clean-cut, all-American type that stays away from anything the least bit contriversial. That's all well-and-good for NASCAR's image, but it really hurts the quality of racing.

Gonzo317: There is a reason that most of the top drivers spend a lot of time in the gym. Pulling 2 to 3 G's several times a minute for 2 or more hours requires both strength and stamina.

Holding a heavy book in front of me with arms fully outstretched for an extended period of time requires both strength and stamina.

Is that a sport?

No.

spacechicken170am: The club does all the work. All they do is swing their arms. Can you see what I'm doing yet? It's 2 sides of the same coin. You can play a round of golf without breaking a sweat. There's no way you can convince anyone it's more physically demanding than NASCAR.

Uh, I guess it depends on the definition of "athlete", but if raw athleticism is a requirement, then neither the golfer nor the driver should ever qualify. There's nothing stopping a driver or golfer from striving to improve their physical quickness, for example, but there's no incentive within those activities to do so. Compare that to any number of quickness-dependent field sport positions like MLB center fielder, NFL cornerback, NBA point guard, MLS forward, tennis player, etc. These people need speed, and if they lose it, they're out of a career.

With that in mind, here's a simple thought experiment. None of the above can beat Usain Bolt in a sprint, because he is the fastest sprinter in the world right now. But if I set up a race between Bolt, a professionally active field sport player and a driver or golfer, it's absurdly easy to predict the results:

1) Bolt
2) Field sport player
3) Golfer/driver

. . . 100 times out of 100. Pro drivers and golfers are generally in good shape, but it's more because being out of shape is a disadvantage. OTOH, field sports are merciless at dropping players that can't keep up. They can't beat a guy who sprints for a living, but it wouldn't be nearly as embarrassing as watching a driver or golfer. And if we changed this thought experiment from speed to power, good god -- imagine Jimmy Johnson or Tiger Woods trying to stop an NFL linebacker or NBA power forward. As soon as the clock starts you'd hear the stomach-churning crunching of bones and hope their lifeless bodies are still breathing.

whitetrash529: Having been a racecar, mostly dirt track driver, until you clowns get behind the wheel and do what those guys do for 3,4-5 hours you have no idea what you're talking about. It's not as simple as "turning the wheel"

I apologize. I forgot to mention you guys drive in straight lines in between perpetual left turns. This degree of complexity gives me a newfound appreciation for your work.