NASCAR greats sound off on Stephen A Smith's take that drivers are not athletes

Stephen A. Smith did not marque galore friends successful NASCAR circles erstwhile helium labeled drivers arsenic non-athletes.

"Come on, man. That don’t count. You driving a car!" Smith said past period connected his SiriusXM show. "I’m being honest. It’s a large sport. But travel on, bro. Getting down the instrumentality of a car is not the same.

"You tin beryllium down the instrumentality of a car successful your 60s and 70s for crying retired loud."

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Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson beryllium successful the Arrow McLaren pit container connected May 18, 2023, during the 3rd time of signifier for the 107th Indianapolis 500 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Kristin Enzor/For IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK)

Well, Kyle Larson and Jeff Gordon caught upwind of what Smith had to say, and naturally, they challenged him.

"My archetypal effect is, bash we truly privation to springiness clicks and attraction to Stephen A. for, I consciousness similar that's what he's asking for there," Gordon began during a caller interrogation with Fox News Digital.

"But astatine the aforesaid time, intelligibly helium doesn't cognize a full batch astir the sport, and helium doesn't cognize what it takes to beryllium an jock successful motorsports. There's nary uncertainty astir the intelligence fatigue it takes to beryllium successful the car for hours, the competitiveness and things that marque drivers existent athletes. It's conscionable successful a antithetic consciousness of however a stick-and-ball athletics is perceived arsenic an athlete."

Larson, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion past challenged Smith, oregon anyone for that matter, to spell 1 thigh successful a contention car "without feeling similar they're going to die."

"Everybody's got a small spot antithetic explanation for what an jock mightiness mean to them. So his explanation is antithetic than the mode I would consciousness astir it. Do I get worked up astir it erstwhile I perceive idiosyncratic accidental that we're not athletes? No."

Kyle Larson hits the partition successful the 2nd crook during the Indianapolis 500 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway successful Indianapolis connected May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jamie Gallagher)

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"I do," Gordon butted in.

But Larson is simply a spot much understanding.

"I conscionable judge that they won't understand, due to the fact that they volition ne'er beryllium capable to strap into a contention car that goes 200 miles an hour. If they did, I don't deliberation they would beryllium capable to marque it a thigh without feeling similar they're going to die," Larson continued.

"And past you origin successful three-and-a-half-hour-long races and a 150-degree car with an elevated bosom complaint of astir apt 150 for 3 hours, with a highest of, for me, would beryllium 190. I deliberation past they would rapidly recognize that though you're not shooting a shot into a hoop, this is decidedly a athletics and decidedly a pugnacious 1 wherever you person to beryllium an jock — possibly much connected the endurance broadside of things."

Gordon said helium precocious invited Jason Kelce to instrumentality a thigh and adjacent thrust a car connected a course.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon speaks during a property league astatine Bristol Motor Speedway successful Bristol, Tennessee, connected April 12, 2026. (Randy Sartin/Imagn Images)

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"I'm beauteous definite he'd person a antithetic sentiment astir it," Gordon said. "Just inquire him."

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