Whether or not you consider racing a sport, it’s hard to deny that what drivers can do out on the track is pretty amazing.
Strangely, there are many controversies about the legitimacy of NASCAR and Formula 1. We doubt we’ll be changing anyone’s stance on this topic today, but we still wanted to take the time to talk about some crazy racing facts.
So here’s our list of some things you didn’t know about race cars. Hopefully, you come away from this knowing something you didn’t know before.
Racing Is a Weirdly Good Workout
One of the biggest arguments against racing being a sport is the fact that it’s not a physical activity. If you’d counter with the fact that a high level of skill is involved in racing, just as in many other sports, you can also use the newfound knowledge that drivers actually do work up a sweat.
Between the pumping of adrenaline and the scorching temperature inside of the cabin, drivers can lose anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds worth of sweat during just one race. Plus, their heart rate usually sits at around 120 to 150 beats per minute, which is roughly the same level as someone running a marathon.
Drivers Don’t Need Licenses To Drive
One of the most surprising things you didn’t know about race cars is that many drivers, specifically those in NASCAR, don’t need to have a driver’s license to race. All they need to do is pass a physical examination and a drug test.
This might seem weird, but it makes more sense when you stop to think about it. Driver’s licenses prove that you know how to obey traffic laws more so than that you know how to drive. Obviously, traffic laws don’t matter in a race, making a driver’s license unnecessary.
Turning Causes a Lot of G-Force
One of the reasons why physical examinations are so important in the world of racing is due to the high-speed turns drivers make. On average, drivers can experience 2 to 3 g of force when going through a turn. In Formula 1, where some turns are much sharper, drivers can experience up to 4 g, which is more than a space shuttle goes through at launch.
Race Cars Aren’t Truly Manual
Most people assume that all race cars use manual transmissions due to their ability to give drivers complete control over their vehicles, but there’s an ongoing debate as to which type of transmission is best for racing. That’s why many race cars actually use a mix of the two. Drivers can still manually switch gears to retain that level of control, but they don’t use a clutch so that they can keep one foot firmly planted on the floor.
Formula 1 cars take this a step further by replacing the stick shift with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. That way, drivers never have a reason to take their hands off the wheel, leading to more control in sharp turns.