Stephen A. Smith has certain ideas about what counts as an athlete and what doesn’t. For example, NASCAR drivers? Certainly not. They are just “driving a car.” While many disagreed and a lot more pushed back, Stephen A. didn’t budge from his stance. Not even when he got a call from his Airness. 

“You know who wanted to correct me about the NASCAR thing? Michael Jordan,” Smith said on SiriusXM. “I argued with him! Because that’s how I feel!”

The confrontation between the two was a fundamental clash of philosophies. Jordan, who has been a co-owner of 23XI Racing since 2020, has witnessed firsthand the physical toll the sport takes on his drivers. After watching Tyler Reddick secure five wins this season and even receiving a Daytona 500 ring for his 63rd birthday, Jordan’s defense of the sport is backed by skin in the game. Yet, Smith remained unfazed, later telling his audience: 

“I’m being honest. That’s how I feel. That’s all, it’s not a crime. That’s what makes radio and sports talk.”

The original spark for this firestorm occurred on SiriusXM’s “Mad Dog Sports Radio,” where Smith dismissed a caller for comparing NASCAR legend Richard Petty’s longevity to LeBron James. “Come on, man. That don’t count. You driving a car!” Smith fired back. “You can be behind the wheel of a car in your 60s and 70s for crying out loud. A golfer is not an athlete. A NASCAR driver is not an athlete.”

The NASCAR community responded just as strongly. Veteran driver Ryan Preece, who famously survived a terrifying accident where his car barrel-rolled 10 times at Daytona, offered a visceral rebuttal. 

“I’d love for him to go tumbling 13 times, have black eyes, and show up next week doing what you gotta do. I think your definition of an athlete certainly varies from person to person.”

 Smith framed the backlash as a product of “gang mentality” in the media. He argued that most analysts simply adopt the popular opinion to avoid conflict, whereas he views himself as the honest outlier. While he admitted to not knowing enough about the sport to understand a driver’s daily grind, he seems content to stand alone. For Smith, the distinction is simple: if you aren’t running or jumping, it’s a skill, not a sport.

But in reality, drivers face brutal conditions that push the human body to its absolute limit. 

If this isn’t athletic, what is?

First of all, the reality of a NASCAR cockpit is less like a standard vehicle and more akin to a high-speed furnace. For drivers, the floorboards act as a direct conductor for engine heat, reaching temperatures that can cause literal tissue damage. 

Hall of Famers like Darrell Waltrip and Dale Jarrett have both talked about getting third-degree burns on their feet while racing. To give you an idea of how volatile it gets: Waltrip once dropped a Sharpie on the floor during a race at Dover, and by the time he crossed the finish line, the marker had literally melted into the chassis. It’s not just the floor, either; Greg Biffle once mentioned the air inside his helmet hitting 120°F, basically scorching his face while he was trying to stay focused at 200 mph.

The strain on a driver’s heart is just as intense, looking a lot like what you’d see from an Olympic marathoner. Data from Jimmie Johnson shows that these guys keep their heart rate between 140 and 180 bpm for nearly four hours straight. It’s not just the adrenaline, either; it’s the body trying to survive “violent” G-forces in a cockpit that can hit 160°F. The energy drain is wild. Frankie Muniz reported burning over 4,400 calories in a single afternoon, and it’s common for drivers to lose 5 to 10 pounds of body weight in sweat during a 400-mile race.

Sometimes, you can literally see the body shut down. Back in June 2022, Bubba Wallace fainted twice on live TV after a grueling race in Atlanta because his body just hit a wall. More recently, in September 2024, Tyler Reddick won the regular-season championship while he was physically ill. Even with the cockpit at 130°F, he was being fed stomach medicine through the window during pit stops just to stay upright. He needed medical attention the second he climbed out of the car.

Then there’s the “invisible workout” required to actually steer a 3,400-pound machine. At high-banked tracks like Talladega or Bristol, the lateral forces (2-3Gs) are trying to pin you against the seat. Without elite neck and core strength, your head would just snap toward the window, and you’d lose all control. That’s why guys like Johnson obsess over high-altitude cardio and weight training. Without that level of conditioning, a normal person would physically collapse under the pressure of the turns long before the race was even half over.

At the end of the day, NASCAR is way more than “just driving.” It’s a survival test where the body is pushed to limits you almost never see in traditional field sports.