skl

http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/77530


Pretty damned impressive... wonder how far Tony Stewart would get, if he didn't drown first...

Flying Finn

Yeah, F1 guys are little different breed than your NASCAR guys...
Button does 1/4 Triathlon, Kovalainen & Webber both run Marathons, Kimi does just about everything that's exiting and the rest are in "topi topi" shape too.
Stewart, Juan Pablo McDonaltoya and the rest could probably last couple of hundred of yards running...
Triathlon? I think they'd probably be vomiting by the time they have themselves squeezed in to the wet suits...

AlpharettaRK

As this has a bearing on driving ability how? Tony, JPM and the crew seem to be doing just fine at the end of 4 hour races, at which point the F1 guys have had time to finish their race, their post-race massage and cleansing skin treatments.

ltc

I would suggest trying to type your next post while sitting in a centrifuge....Sir Isaac Newton will be running your test.

Yes, 4 hours, 163 caution laps, left turns, 0.006 gear changes/lap, a total G loading of how much?....I can see where that would make an F1 driver beg to get out of the car....out of boredom perhaps.

I am willing to tolerate NA$CAR discussions to a point, but in terms of driver fitness?

gums

Well, we understand the need for fitness in this sport, and Schumie certainly raised the bar there. The days of chain smoking a la Lauda, Kiki et all are likely over. But, look closely at some of these before we overstate it; Kava is lean; no doubt, but Alonso has no clue how to swing that racquet, looks like a beginner, Weber is in rehab there; quite different than training, Button is running a triathlon there, number on the arm is the give away, so good for him, Hami is in an air conditioned room and doesn't exactly look like he's pushing it, the others are just out playing with toys.
As for the NASCAR Porkers, I'd suspect you need a little extra heft to muscle those heaps around, there's nothing subtle about them and the drivers can't be dainty either.

mdrums

Lot of NASCAR ignorance on this forum....look at Mark Martin, Jimmy Johnson, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and a host of others. These guys are in really good shape.

AlpharettaRK

NASCAR guys hit walls more, so they like to be equipped with their own, personal "SAFER" barriers to cushion the impacts...
Cheers

LDadrenaline

yeah Mark Martin has one of the best training regiments out there... he is 50 and he could still probably do half the stuff the F1 guys do. How many of them have ever written a book about it? Mark Martin wrote "Strength Training for Performance Driving" back in the 90s. He read Arnold Schwarzeneggar's book at a young age and has been extremely fit his entire life.

SundayDriver

I couldn't agree more - there is a huge amount of F1 snobbery on Rennlist. I wonder how many of those taking shots at NASCAR drivers have ever logged full speed laps on ovals (or even rovals) at the same cornering speeds as NASCAR. How many taking shots at those drivers are the same ones who need cool suits for DEs in 85 degree weather when the NASCAR guys are doing hours at 140 without cool suits and with floor temps high enough to melt their shoes?

Consider that F1 requires a very high level of overall fitness with a huge premium on driver weight. NASCAR requires a different kind of fitness - kind of like the difference between the fitness/weight of an NFL quarterback vs. lineman. Why don't we put some F1 drivers up against some NFL linemen in a wresting match - hell the F1 guys should kill them because they are obviously much more fit.

And NA$CAR vs F1 with the $ sign on NASCAR is silly. F1 is far more about money. Personal playground of Bernie & gang. Killing the classic venues in favor of desert tracks and city streets, but yeah, NA$CAR is more driven by $ than F1 - LOL.

All major, professional motorsports require a lot from the driver - fitness, dedication, sacrifice, risk, etc. To continue to take cheap shots at one form really decreases the overall intelligence level that historically has been shown on this forum.

OK, off my soapbox, for now.

Flying Finn

See below...

Exactly.
Don't try to imply that you have to be fit in order to be a NASCAR driver because Tony, JP are perfect example that you don and there is a reason for it.

It was really Senna who changed the fitness part of F1 and Schumi continued it (with now everyone doing it).

The photos are to show there what kind of training they're doing and how fit they are which in NASCAR they don't have to be. Being fat does no good to you, no matter how much those heaps you drive around. I assume you're not saying Tony & JP are just more muscular that F1 guys because they're not, they're fat and if they were in great shape, I have no doubt they'd be better racers. Was Tony like that when he won his championships?

And others are just playing with toys (that's Kimi in all of those photos)?

Have you ever driven a dirt bike in a competition? One of the most physically toughest sports there and playing ice hockey or racing a snow mobile is right up there as well.
When was a last time you saw a fat bastard racing competitively on a dirt bike?

Yes, some of the NASCAR guys are in great shape (and nowadays there are more and more of them) but you can be a successful NASCAR driver even when you're fat & sloppy.

In F1 however you couldn't do if you were in such a horrible shape that those guys are, not to mention they wouldn't fit in the F1 car, but T. Stewart would probably collapse after bunch of laps.

Well now you're making sense!

gums

Yes, I raced Motocross for five years, and that was before there was long travel suspension. No question, it was the most physically demanding sport I've done, and I'm now a long distance cyclist. My body was rock hard and muscular at the time. Certainly the most physical of motorsports. But, that doesn't necessarily apply to stupidity like "freestyle MX". I'm talking Motocross racing. Snowmobiles are also demanding.
But, I wasn't bashing NASCAR, I was just pointing out that these shots don't necessarily represent elite athletes.

DogInBlack

Well said, Mark +1

VERBOTN

I subscribe to C. Chapman's philosophy of "adding lightiness" for me staying fit is far cheaper than the latest titanium..........bits.

deep_uv

^^^^^
Truth

Circuit Motorsports

Been quoted for truth already but deserves it again.

NASCAR bashing just shows complete lack of understanding by the poster of what it takes.

Carl's a total slob.