Do you have to be fit to be a nascar driver?

Question

i am trying to bcome a nascar driver and i wonder

Answer 1

You need stamina to last through a 500 mile race.  You need upper body strength to fight the wheel all day long and you need to be in shape to fight G-forces.

Answer 2

Each driver has to take a physical before he can drive.

Sure some drivers look as if they could not pick up a 6 pack but they all do some sort of physical conditioning.Some teams have atheletic trainers on staff.

Answer 3

No, Jimmy Spencer drove, and look at Tony Stewart.

Answer 4

No because take a look at Jimmie Spencer &Tony Stewart

Answer 5

Yes being any driver at such a high level of proffesional sport requires you to be as fit as any athelete, you have to  be physically fit so that your body can withstand the G-Forces during the turns, the loss of weight and dehydration due to heat in the cockpit of your vehicle, and mostly to keep up your concentration for hours on end through such high levels of physical and mental stress. It also has the further advantage of helping you survive a crash better. Eg. of Fit drivers= Michael Schummacher, Lewis Hamilton

Answer 6

no you don't there are unfit drivers out there such as Tony Stewart and Jimmy Spencer raced and Robby Gordon isn't that fit and im sure there are a few others

Answer 7

Fit in a special sense of the word, the ability to see when the whole world is on spin cycle and pick out a fast ball or a slider read gauge's and watch traffic and pick up your markers for braking and acceleration points. I tried it once in my brothers modified dirt car on a 1/3 mile track, I just wanted to feel it under acceleration on a straight, all i found was corners, the track was very dry and had not been worked and they were testing an engine, but every time I thought about mashing that accelerator there was a wall.Don't get me wrong I work out, I just don't have that special talent of climbing into one of these fire breathing monsters and turning left.

Answer 8

tony stewart does look like he could use a few less beers. I would think it's a lot like horse racing the lighter the load the faster you go?

Answer 9

Well, if your a fat@ss . . . it might be hard to slip through the window.

Answer 10

no, but it helps, with the heat of the cars and the g-force of the cars it would be use ful to have the extra stamina that comes with good health

Answer 11

uh... no you drive a car...   i wouldn't even consider them athletes

Answer 12

Not in the old days.  Think of Benny Parsons and J.D. McDuffie.  The drivers were all tough though.

Answer 13

h**l yes

GOOD LUCK !!!! on your dream

Answer 14

No Smoke is not and look he is one of the BEST drivers out there!

Answer 15

um........i don't know how to say this but,.**** YES! you definately have to be in shape to handle all that G-force. The inside of the car gets up to over 100 degrees and you can't be passing out. you won't see any fat nascar drivers

Answer 16

Definitely...yes.  Good Luck.

Go. Jr.>>>>

Answer 17

I suppose it helps, but you dont have to be look at Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart!

No wonder why he doesnt climb the fence anymore!  Needs to eat more subway with Jarred.

Answer 18

Yes I think so, even the guys that are/have been over weight would have to be in pretty good shape.

Answer 19

You most definitely have to be fit to race. The cars weigh 3400 pounds and you have to be able to handle that. In a magazine article, I forget which one, Mark Martin was asked about his fitness for Nascar. He said that every morning he does 500 push ups and 500 sit ups to keep himself physically fit and able to manuever such a powerful car.  Granted, there are guys like Jimmy Spencer, who don't appear to be very fit, but the majority of drivers are, so I would definitely try to be in the best shape possible if I wanted to race.

Answer 20

There is 350lb linemen, and we consider them athletes and fit, so to the people who think a 230lb Stewart or a 260lb Spencer isn't fit, think again. Cars inside temperatures can reach around 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The average human perspires at 78. Go on a roller coaster that pulls 5g's (gravitational forces), and see how your body takes it. Though it may be fun for the 2 minutes you're on it, you really can't handle it that well. Consider doing it for 2-4 hours with few breaks in between. Most times, the pedal re set so different than a street car, that pushing them is like trying to push a 60-80lb bag of concrete. Then steering the car left, when it always wants to pull right is extremely difficult, and when you're doing it constantly, it tends to wear the body out. Most people can't stand a 2 hour car ride without getting cramped, try a 2-4 hour race at g's well over 7 sometimes, temps into the 160's, and a car that doesn't want to go left, and it's very hard. The muscles they use are forearms, back, chest, biceps, triceps, calves, hamstrings. Even though it may seem easy, it's really not.

Answer 21

Turn on the heat in your car as high as it will go.  Make sure it is 125 degrees.

Don't drive on the highway, drive on a road that makes you make a decent sized turn every 15 seconds.

sounds a little difficult?

Don't stop for 4 hours.

OK, now throw on a fire suit.

and pretend the 43 cars around you don't want you to get where you are going.