Stephen A. Smith Sparks NASCAR Controversy by Calling Drivers 'Not Athletes'

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took shots at NASCAR on his SiriusXM radio show. Smith stated that NASCAR drivers are not athletes, “Come on, man. That don’t count. You driving a car!” The comments struck a nerve with the racing community because his statements were illegitimate.

Smith’s argument was that of NASCAR drivers being “elite” and “skilled,” but not in the same way as basketball or football players, among other sports. They are not considered physically demanding in the same way as other sports are. Kevin Harvick took exception to that comment.

Kevin Harvick Strikes Back

“If you don’t know anything about racing, just keep your opinion to yourself,” Harvick demanded. “You shouldn’t have an opinion if you don’t even know anything about a sport,” Harvick went on to explain, and truly.

Harvick has historically worn a Polar Watch, which tracks a person’s health and calories burned. Harvick explained that he wore the watch during one race and claimed it showed he burned 3,200 calories. The amount was so large that Polar assumed there was a glitch in the system. They sent Harvick a new watch and, the following week, Harvick burned 2,400 calories. So, Smith still thinks they are not athletes?

The only other sport that seemingly burns the same amount of calories is that of a marathon runner. Surely, that is not the only comparable one, but basketball, football, or even baseball players can be expected not to achieve that caloric burn per event.

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

Jimmie Johnson lies heat-exhausted after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

For years, non-racing fans have deemed the sport non-athletic. As in poker or golf, racers are not widely viewed as ‘athletes.’ The argument drives racers and fans crazy, as it’s more of a stigma than a factual take.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an athlete is “a person who is very good at sports or physical exercise, especially one who competes in organized events.”

A NASCAR race may go on for 2-4 hours, demanding supreme focus under the green flag and fewer timeouts or pauses than most other sports, perhaps than soccer. Between G-forces, caloric burn, focus, arm-strength, reaction time, and so much more, a racer may be more athletic by definition than the majority of sports.

NASCAR Fires Back

Mike Joy most notably made comments at Smith on the Sunday broadcast of the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega. “Earlier this week, a well-known online pundit said race car drivers are not athletes. I want to send him this sequence (the 26-car wreck on lap 114) and ask him to think about it.”

Front Row Motorsports took to Stephen A. Smith’s Instagram DM’s, offering him a chance to see what is up in a stock car.

Ryan Preece, who has famously endured some insane flips on the track, exclaimed back at Stephen A. Smith, “I’d love for him to go tumbling 13 times, have black eyes, and show up next week doing what you gotta do.” Kurt Busch topped the fiery comments, “Let’s go, cupcake. I will personally drive you around a NASCAR track for 30 minutes or when you pass out on lap 30.”

Joey Logano chimed in, confirming that the goal of personalities like Stephen A. Smith is more about gaining relevance than giving correct takes. “This is what hot-take media does. Say something inflammatory, watch the entire industry react, and benefit from the attention.”

Stephen A. Smith Doubles Down

Smith doubled down on his comments this week, driving his media buzz. He does not know him (Logano) “from a can of paint.” Smith said to “Google me” and that he does not need NASCAR’s attention to stay relevant.

Smith can say what he wants, but we are aware of what he is doing. He believes the above comments, but deep down, he knows he is driving clicks. It is second nature to Smith, who has been doing this for decades. Perhaps, he should show up and step into a car one day.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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