Roush Fenway Keselowski driver, Ryan Preece did not hold back from firing a stern take at Stephen A Smith after the latter's comment on NASCAR drivers' athleticism.

"I'd love for him to go tumbling 13 times, have black eyes, and show up next week doing what you gotta do," Preece said, responding to Smith.

Notably, Preece's response comes immediately after Smith stated that the drivers are not exactly athletes when compared to NBA or soccer players. He even compared them with golf players, stating the same about them.

"Come on, man," Smith said. "That don’t count. You driving a car!" Smith said. "I’m being honest, it’s a great sport. But come on, bro. Getting behind the wheel of a car is not the same. You can be behind the wheel of a car in your 60s and 70s for crying out loud. A golfer is not an athlete. A NASCAR driver is not an athlete."

The athleticism of racing drivers has always come under question, whether it's a NASCAR driver, an F1 racer, or an Endurance racer. These drivers often battle forces in excess of 4Gs. It's similar to what trained Air Force pilots pull off. Moreover, a NASCAR driver sits through hundreds of laps in a car that reaches temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

But that's not all. Each time a driver goes out on the track, they battle tough conditions and the risk of accidents. Take Preece for instance. At Daytona, his car flipped and barrel rolled, bringing out significant safety issues.

That's why when news of Smith's statement broke out, major names in the NASCAR community spoke up.

Kurt Busch and FRM Send a Message

Kurt Busch promptly wrote back to Smith on social media, emphasizing on just how physically grueling NASCAR can be.

"Let’s go cupcake. I will personally drive you around a nascar track for 30mins or when you pass out on lap 30."

And he was joined by Front Row Motorsports. Similar to Busch, they replied jokingly to Smith on social media with:

“Stephen A., what’s going on, my man? We heard that ABSOLUTELY PREPOSTEROUS take of yours claiming NASCAR drivers aren’t athletes, and quite frankly, we were stunned. Stunned!"

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Sabyasachi Biswas

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar