“Come on, man. That don’t count. You driving a car!” Smith ranted on his show. “I’m being honest, it’s a great sport. But come on, bro. Getting behind the wheel of a car is not the same… You can be behind the wheel of a car in your 60s and 70s for crying out loud… A NASCAR driver is not an athlete,” Stephen A. Smith said recently about his views on motorsports. What followed was instant backlash! Drivers across the NASCAR Cup Series quickly pushed back, mocking the remarks and defending the physical and mental demands of their profession. Here’s what they had to say.

Ryan Preece gives a brutal reality check

Ryan Preece didn’t hold back, using his own terrifying experience to shut down the narrative. “I’d love for him to go tumbling 13 times, have black eyes, and show up next week doing what you got to do. I think your definition of an athlete certainly varies from person to person.”

Preece was referencing his horrifying crash at Daytona International Speedway in 2023, where his car flipped violently over 10 times. His point was simple. Surviving impacts like that and returning to compete isn’t just skill, it’s resilience that few outside the sport can comprehend.

Joey Logano calls it a publicity play

Joey Logano took a more measured but equally sharp approach. “I wasn’t surprised. He said it before. I think people like that have to make comments to stay relevant, right? I mean, that’s like part of their game, right? It’s how they got to make big moments and things so people watch. And so he got exactly what he got.”

For Logano, the comments felt were made for attention.

Denny Hamlin breaks down the athletic demand

Denny Hamlin addressed the misconception head-on. “I know that no general person would ever be able to go do what I do in the race car. And is it athletic? I don’t know. I think it is. We endure a lot of G-forces and temperature and heart rate, things like that.”

Hamlin highlighted the physical toll drivers routinely deal with. For instance, extreme cockpit heat, sustained G-forces in corners, and elevated heart rates for hours. It’s not just driving in cricles for NASCAR drivers but’s showcasing endurance under pressure.

Ross Chastain shrugs it off

Ross Chastain didn’t see the need to overanalyze it. “Well, it’s for the attention. That’s what he made a career out of that.”

A blunt take, but one that echoed the sentiment across the garage.

Bubba Wallace keeps it balanced

Bubba Wallace offered a more nuanced response. “I think there’s a lot of non-athletic drivers. But there’s also a lot of athletic drivers I feel like we can hold our own in a multitude of sports. I got no hard feelings to him because it’s just something that he’s never done, right?”

Wallace acknowledged the diversity within the field while pointing out the obvious. Stephen A. Smith has built his career as a high-profile ESPN personality and debate-driven analyst, not someone with firsthand racing experience.

Todd Gilliland invites him to experience it

Todd Gilliland leaned toward education rather than criticism. “It’s disappointing. I don’t know how much experience he even has with NASCAR. I mean, to be honest, I don’t even know if he’s ever watched a race, right? I think the coolest thing to me would be, you know, having him out to a race and experiencing it for himself.” Sometimes, seeing is believing.

Chris Buescher fires back

Chris Buescher echoed that sentiment. “I’m not going to get too fired up about it because I am well aware what our sport takes. But, I promise if he actually showed up and gained a little bit of knowledge and uh and tried to experience a little bit, his take would change very quickly.”

AJ Allmendinger keeps it short and savage

AJ Allmendinger delivered perhaps the most viral response of all NASCAR drivers. “Never heard of him.” No elaboration needed.

Chase Briscoe draws the comparison

Chase Briscoe tackled the broader definition of athleticism. “It’s disappointing. I think what we do is a very high level, right? And it’s hard because an athlete can be defined in so many different ways. Every single person in the world drives a car down the highway and thinks it’s the same. But it’s completely opposite. You can go out and shoot a basketball in your backyard, but it’s not the same as playing in the NBA.”

It’s a comparison that resonates deeply. Just having familiarity doesn’t equal mastery.

William Byron points to the physical gap

William Byron closed in on the core issue. “I think if he came and experienced what we did and understood the physical side. Yeah. I’m not going to I’m not going to dunk a basketball, you know, I’m not going to do those things. But also, I heard someone else say this, too. It’s like he couldn’t come do what we do and be competitive in that and physically or mentally.”

NASCAR garage stands united

For once, rivalries took a backseat. Across the grid, drivers didn’t just defend their craft but instead united behind it. Whether through humor, frustration, or perspective, the message was clear: NASCAR drivers may debate many things, but their identity as athletes isn’t one of them.