Someone enlighten me as to why people in motorsports are considered athletes.

pfft, I used to do that on the track in a go kart.
Although we were going like 8 mph

 

I think he is considering dirt bikes.

 

Sumo wrestlers, heavy weight boxers, and hot dog eaters. ect ect

 

LOL. And every Olympic athlete dreams of the money he or she is going to make (advertising, product endorsements, television appearances, pro gigs, etc) after the Olympics are over.

 

The only real difference between a professional and a non-professional is the means of livelihood. An athlete, such as a race car driver or other, can either be a professional or a non-professional.

 

A strong man, with "willpower/drive," can lift a heavy weight, but that doesn't make him an athlete. However, lifting weights can certainly be an athletic sport. Likewise, driving a car doesn't, in itself, make one an athlete, but racing cars can also be an athletic sport.

Read the thread. In response to your premise of what an athlete is, we've already established that race car drivers have considerable physical conditioning, skill, awareness, concentration, and motivation.

 

I wonder who else some here would rule out as athletes. What about Olympic bobsled racers would just ride a sled down a ice covered hill? What about figure skating where participants just mainly leisurely dance around the rink? What about Olympic archery, water polo, volleyball, BMX cycling, trampoline, billiards, chess, badminton, judo, fencing, shooting, table tennis, golf, tug of war, and/or softball?

Many of the above would seem to fall well outside the strict definitions some have set here for the word "athlete." Heck, many sports would likely fall outside at least one or more of those definitions.

 

FU

 

LOL.

 

I ride a race quad and sometimes race MX on my dirt bike, one moto leaves you exhausted. On the quad, a good trail ride in the woods can really wear you down, sometimes I'll park along the trail and take a nap. I get in the best shape doing that stuff, much better than walking or anything like that.

 

X2 Jon! I know I've advocated NASACAR drivers in this thread, but SX and MX racers are the most physically conditioned athletes of all sports. Being a rider myself, there's not one point in a lap were you're NOT doing something physically to control that back. 1 lap and I'm already gassed. Now times that by 20 laps and you've got yourself a physically fit athlete.

 

that is a good question what they do has nothing to do with their physical abilities.

 

Now that is definitely a statement.....

 

Damn right

 

Ermahgerd

 

So OP has then been solved yet? I think we can all agree, Most automobile sports require a physically conditioned driver, Right?

Whats the new argument?

 

Not really. No one has given a real argument as to why the sport is considered an athletic event, needless to show any scientific evidence of athletic abilities or benchmarks related to the sport.

People have proven why they are "athletes" but that was a mistake in my choice of wording for title. I assumed people would think professional athlete, obviously I was wrong with that assumption.

 

They are professional athletes , they are athletes as you conceeded above , and they are paid

Professional athlete

 

So its really about what makes an athlete professional? To be honest? Pay rate most likely lol