By Zack Klapman
Back in November some guy named Donovan McNabb said NASCAR drivers are not athletes. Naturally, several drivers respectfully responded, offering McNabb rides or just shrugging it off as a timeless debate.
And a debate it has been. Racing isn’t seen as “athletic” as many other sports, because the person driving isn’t moving under their own power (like, for example, a football player). Everyone assumes the car is doing the work. This is silly, because the mental and physical focus required is as high as any other sport, and it’s that focus that controls your body’s actions. People forget that your brain controls your heart and lungs, and that in times of stress, it requires more blood and oxygen. Ever been sitting at a job interview, and you feel your heart rate climb, and your breath get short? It isn’t an “athletic” endeavor, but your BPM could be higher than it was during your morning jog. Now add perfect pedal movements, shoulders actuating the steering wheel, and your core resisting G forces; your body is doing more than people think.
If all it took to convince people that racing is hard were the words above, this would have been settled before I had become a multi-cellular being. But today we have a video that show just how difficult high-caliber racing is. During a testing session, sensors were placed on IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden to monitor “real-time biometrics such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, G-forces and many other parameters.” Check out his heart rate during the corners and you’ll see it’s almost identical to the peak rate of a Tour de France cyclist.
Donovan, enjoy your 12 seconds of running followed by leisurely commercial breaks.
Source: Rising Star Racing
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