STOCK CAR RACINGĪlthough the total number of drivers who participate in stock car racing is not known, there are 1,389 stock car tracks in the United States with larger and more populated states having as many as 79 stock car tracks ( 19). The purpose of this article is to review the motor sports research and characterize some common injuries, physical demands, and physiology of racing and provide practical recommendations for strength and conditioning practitioners. The National Strength and Conditioning Association and its certified members are well positioned to serve the substantial yet relatively understudied sport of stock car racing more comprehensively. Most of the limited published information regarding racing is dated or focuses on open-wheel formula car racing outside of the United States. Although stock car racing may not be thought of as a traditional sport, stock car drivers require athletic abilities and experience injuries that, to this point, are not well understood. Conditioning services are believed to be important for open-wheel and formula drivers though, few recommendations have been made up to this point ( 12). Race car drivers also demonstrate trunk flexion and extension force production characteristics that are similar to wrestlers, tennis, and basketball players leg extension strength that is higher than national-level basketball players and neck extension strength that is equal to judo athletes and twice as strong as nonathletes ( 2). Studies examining some of the physical demands and abilities of race car drivers indicate that their heart rates, V̇o 2max, and ventilatory volumes are similar to that of athletes in basketball, boxing, soccer, running, bicycling, and handball ( 10,11).
Some racers have long appreciated the role of good physical fitness ( 16), and recent articles on pit crew and driver fitness have appeared in popular consumer publications ( 1,17).
In addition to NASCAR, there are many sanctioning bodies that oversee stock car racing at numerous regional, state, and local tracks ( 19). The highest level of stock car racing is sanctioned by National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and has a fan base of 75 million fans making it the second largest spectator sport in the United States ( 9). Stock car racing is the fastest growing spectator sport in the United States ( 9).