Yes, let's have a debate. Are race car drivers athletes? Yes. This according to an article in the July 1998 Popular Science magazine. (I've saved the article for this long to help me respond to doubters like you.) Although the article applies more specifically to indycar style race drivers, much of what is discussed applies to probably all serious racing series drivers, including our local sprint car jockeys. Quoting the article: "Are they athletes? Biomedical research at Daytona's Human Performance International proves that race drivers work extremely hard, both physically and mentally."

Let's begin with your definition of an athlete and see if racers meet the requirerments. "A person trained in exercises, games, or contests requiring physical strength, skill, stamina, speed."

I doubt if you have a problem with them being involved in a 'contest' in which they have been 'trained'. Is your problem with their physical ability? mental capabilities?

Article: "Reflexes - Top racers process information and react with precision in under a quarter-second, almost twice as fast as the average individual. Muscle strength - Drivers don't want to carry excess mass, but they should build good upper-body strength, (most do work out. Deadlifts can make a driver better.) Vision - Drivers must watch track conditions far ahead (look what happened to Jason Statler when he failed to.), competitors to the side, instrument panel, and the wall, all at high speed. Heart Rate - Wearing monitors, drivers have recorded more than 210 beats per minute during a race, and routinely maintain 175 or higher for hours on end. (Jump on an exercise machine sometime and try to maintain that level, besides making you tired, it's plain hard to do.) Oxygen Consumption - Upper cardiovascular fitness gives body and mind a boost that's better than extra engine horsepower. (top racers stay in shape.) Coordination - A Zen-like mesh of psyche and physique, racing demads accuracy, balance, concentration, confidence, intelligence, nerve, and stamina." (Have you ever heard a sprint car driver huffing and puffing in victory lane mention that "I was falling out of the seat". ? That means he got tired. When your heart rate is up there for several minutes, plus wrestling the steering wheel, plus extreme concentration, etc., etc. it gets you wore out fast!)

Have they met your definition yet?

Your analogy that because your grandmother can still drive (God bless her), and she's not an athlete, means that race car drivers aren't athletes either, is a joke, right? Do really believe your own logic? Let's see... I ride a bike therefore I'm a cyclist, I should join the 'Tour de France'! or, I can play football, I 've even played quarterback many times, maybe the Raiders would sign me! I ran track in high school, watch out Tyson Gay! Same logic.

Disclaimer: This letter has been fun for me to write. Please digest it in the same manner I wrote it, mainly as a pleasant and enjoyable activity. I had a day off from work and this letter is the result of an over active mind that had nothing else to do at the time. I do think racers are athletes, not up as far on the scale as say ironman triathletes, NBA basketballers, NFL football players, or many others, but they certainly rank higher than golfers, bowlers, maybe even baseball players. I enjoyed your column in today's E-R. Keep up the good work and cover those races at SDS!