NASCAR Drivers Have It Easy?If you think NASCAR drivers have it easy because they have fame, fortune and drive a car around in circles for a few hours a week…you are wrong! Drivers have extensive responsibilities that come with being a superstar athlete in America's most popular spectator sport.
NASCAR drivers don't just turn up at the track on Sunday and jump in the car and race around in circles. The demands on their time are mind-boggling. When drivers are not racing they do not have much free time at all. In addition to the 38 weekends of races spoken for, drivers will spend most of the remaining 14 weekends of the year at commercial shoots, banquets, and sponsor commitments. In addition to working, practicing and qualifying with their crews at the race shops, a typical week for a driver includes extensive travel, public appearances, media interviews, charity work and sponsorship obligations. Unlike athletes in most sports, NASCAR drivers are extremely accessible to their fans. They often meet and greet fans and sign autographs at several stages before each race begins. Drivers' accessibility to the fans is part of what makes NASCAR events so special to so many fans.
Fans feel like they're connected with these guys, that they are human, that they're real people, just like you and me. As the NASCAR movement grows, it has become increasingly challenging for the drivers to maintain a personal connection with their fans. On the track, drivers perform like the skillfull competitors they are. They defend their positions throughout the race as they all do everything possible to get and stay at the front of the pack. With 2 goals in mind at every race (win points and win the race) NASCAR's best can be considered the most technically talented of all athletes in any sport. But what is the NASCAR drivers ' experience really like?
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