NASCAR racing is an American auto racing company that each year sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 48 US states as well as in Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Daytona 500 is a 500-mile-long NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Although it might seem like a very low-demanding sport since the bottom line of the sport is who can drive the fastest, there are many other skills required to succeed in this high-intensity sport. Because cars reach extremely high speeds of over 200 miles per hour and can go from 0 to 60 mph in around 3 seconds, having fast reflexes is a main necessity for the drivers. Physical stamina is another important skill as drivers must handle strong G-forces, high temperatures, and a sustained heart rate between 160 and 200 bpm during a race. Additionally, teamwork is another strong aspect needed to succeed in racing since everyone from the driver, pit crew, managers, to even sponsors carry the same responsibility of communicating effectively in order to improve performance, modify vehicles, and secure wins. This sport can be of entertainment to people of all social groups but can be considered a high-level sport.
It is evident there is a large ratio between men and women as this is a male-dominated sport. What this can reveal about the internal gender dynamic of this sport I believe can go hand in hand with the stereotype that women are bad drivers. I do believe in all sports or activities there will be a dominating gender which leads to “playing gender” instead of “playing sport”. For example, in basketball or soccer, the women division attracts way less attention than the men’s but on the other hand, when it comes to modeling women attract most of the attention. I feel gender definitely plays a role when it comes to sports having to do with what gender this sport is generally associated with.
I feel this sport can be defined by the term wild since drivers reach incredibly high speeds. Any wrong or too late of the slightest turn can lead to horrible accidents or possibly death. I think drivers are brave as they get in a car and drive it the fastest they possibly can without overthinking the danger that comes from it.