The Athletic Demands Placed On A Nascar Driver
The driver is a visible and most valuable member of any Nascar team. In fact, Nascar drivers take more than a hundred left turns when they are on the race track. But apart from being behind the wheel, Nascar drivers today are also required to make appearance on sponsored events, do commercial shoots, stand in front of the camera, and do a lot of other stuff (aside from driving) depending on what is stated on their contracts.
Perhaps, the most vital role that Nascar drivers are tasked to do is to keep the engineers, chief mechanics and the entire Nascar crew in tune with the car they are driving. Since the driver is the one behind the wheel, he knows the car well and therefore can provide the best feedback about it which can help the team provide the appropriate adjustments — to the suspension, tires, etc – to ensure that the car will run smoothly, without a hitch, during the race.
Apart from having a wide knowledge about cars, Nascar drivers also need to possess certain athletic qualities in order to successfully win a race. Knowledge about cars is undoubtedly very helpful to any driver but it is never an absolute requirement for Nascar drivers. Besides, there is a crew hired to look after the car so Nascar drivers could just worry about their driving.
One athletic trait that any Nascar driver should have is having a strong mental discipline. Discipline is a characteristic common to athletes. The same is true with Nascar drivers. Since Nascar races can be taxing it is important that the drivers are disciplined enough to be able to keep their focus during the three- to four-hour long race. They have to remember that a lapse in concentration can already be detrimental since this can add precious seconds to their racing record, or in worst case scenario, can result in a life-threatening crash.
Nascar drivers are also expected to possess lightning-fast reflexes. This is very important since they will be racing among 42 speeding cars within the race track. Because of this, they need to be able to drive panel-to-panel and bumper-to-bumper around the racing track. One great trait among Nascar drivers is their incredible ability to elude crashes and bring their race cars to the finish line with minimal damage to none.
Nascar drivers also need to have good coordination since this will aid them to skillfully operate the brake, clutch and accelerator as they steer the car through circuitous turns and high banks. They should also be capable to smoothly shift manual transmission to precise steering, which is vital to run a good car race.
Superb physical strength, excellent car maneuvering, high endurance are other athletic traits that are demanded of a Nascar driver.