Is drag racing a real sport?

[StraightShooter2]

To me, compared to actual racing (e.x. F1, Nascar, IndyCar, etc) drag racing doesn't seem like much of a motorsport - all a person does is hit the gas and keep the car going straight for 1 mile or so - I can't see this as nearly as challenging and requiring the talent of actual racing series (where they drive for several hours straight and have to make all the right turns, keep an eye on the opponents' positions, and so on), but does anyone else have an opinion?

 

[XYZpdq]

ehh, as much as any car sport

 

[A Cardboard Box]

You're retarded. The difficulty in drag racing is in the build. Additionally depending on the division, such as Super Stock, there's immense difficulty in optimally shifting gears, as in for optimal performance you need to be able to hit every shift within a window of a few milliseconds. The most competitive races are decided by differences of 1-5 milliseconds.

 

[StraightShooter2]

You're retarded. The difficulty in drag racing is in the build. Additionally depending on the division, such as Super Stock, there's immense difficulty in optimally shifting gears, as in for optimal performance you need to be able to hit every shift within a window of a few milliseconds. The most competitive races are decided by differences of 1-5 milliseconds.

So a drag race is on the same level as something like 24 Hours of Le Mans?

 

[murdered meat bag]

it hasnt been a mile ever. used to be a quarter mile until some group calculated that drivers were dying because the top speeds achieved in the quarter miles was too high for the brakes to be effective enough to prevent a crash. they use 1/8 mile tracks now.

So a drag race is on the same level as something like 24 Hours of Le Mans?

yup. there's winners and losers.

 

[A Cardboard Box]

So a drag race is on the same level as something like 24 Hours of Le Mans?

"So the Superbowl is on the same level as championship olympic figure skating?"

Just because two sports involve cars doesn't mean they are directly comparable and you're immensely retarded for believing that they are. The skill sets required for each are totally different, the vehicles used in each are so radically different that the only similarities are the facts that they both have seats and they both have combustion engines.

You can not enjoy a car sport without calling into question its "legitimacy."

 

[NerdShamer]

So a drag race is on the same level as something like 24 Hours of Le Mans?

The main difference between the two is that drag racing is dumping a lot of cash into making your car run 0 to 60 in the shortest possible timeframe. Whereas a conventional race is more of a test of the driver's nerves, in addition to how long the pit crew can keep the car running.

 

[The Last Stand]

Car racing is a sport?

I thought sports involved physical activity.

 

[Drain Todger]

A perfectly fine sport. I say they should be made to race for our amusement daily.

 

[1Tonka_Truck]

I'll like how OP is just assuming getting several thousand horsepower to hook up and keep it under control is trivial.

it hasnt been a mile ever. used to be a quarter mile until some group calculated that drivers were dying because the top speeds achieved in the quarter miles was too high for the brakes to be effective enough to prevent a crash. they use 1/8 mile tracks now.

There are standing mile drag races. They are not the norm though. Top fuel has been 1/8 mile for a long time. They reduced it to 1000' a few years ago too keep trap speeds under 350 mph.

 

[The Last Stand]

If Need for Speed: Underground is anything to go by:

Drag racing requires precise timing to change gears at top speed without breaking down. It's not like a typical race; you need a straight road and lots of throttle to compete.

@A Cardboard Box, am I correct?

 

[murdered meat bag]

op could drag race and do the 24 hrs of le mons and see for himself if one or both are sports.

 

[NerdShamer]

If Need for Speed: Underground is anything to go by:

Drag racing requires precise timing to change gears at top speed without breaking down. It's not like a typical race; you need a straight road and lots of throttle to compete.

@A Cardboard Box, am I correct?

That, and reducing as much weight as possible. You can wind up popping a wheelie if you're unfortunate enough.

 

[Crystal Golem]

Well I mean most target shooting contains less movement even then you would get in a drag race is that not a sport? Then also why not take it to the extreme and say if you aren't the sidecar guy in an Isle of Mann TT race, doing parkour over the driver at 150mph to shift the very weight of the bike, well then are you really doing a sport?

 

[Dr. Sexbot]

I have a friend who does this stuff. I'll say this, he does enough prep and engineering work for to count for a sport.

 

[Feralcheese]

Car racing is a sport?

I thought sports involved physical activity.

Ask an open wheel racer about G forces.

 

[R00T]

Like some others have said, the idea of the sport goes heavily into optimization of the machine and the perfection of the human element. A lot of people these days don't drive manual cars anymore so understanding how difficult it is to get the shifting alone precise goes over people's heads. It certainly isn't a physical sport in the traditional sense like basketball or soccer but the other nuances certainly make it one.

 

[Wraith]

A perfectly fine sport. I say they should be made to race for our amusement daily.

Ver archivo adjunto 1812062

So that's how others do it. ... We used to just tie them to the back of a pick 'em up truck and see who could drag them long enough before the red meat shows.

 

[Sped Xing]

I don't know anything about car racing, so I can't speak to whether athleticism counts.

However, just as with footraces, I can't understand the *spectator* part. Oh boy I can't wait to watch traffic. Oh look one guy is going faster he's in front oh boy oh boy. At least horse races don't try to pretend they're something other than a thing to gamble on.

It's why I don't understand the Olympics. Woo gee lads he threw that fake spear so far! Slightly farther than previously recorded!

Certainly the javelin guy is athletic, but who fucking cares? Give him three javelins and make him fight two starving bears. Now that's television!

TLDR Drag racing would be a real sport if they were allowed to sabotage each other.

 

[Haramburger]

I lump drag racing in with skeet shooting and women's basketball; I acknowledge the skill involved and that it is competitive, but I can't be bothered to watch you do it unless I'm boning you afterwards.