Columnist Seeks To Squash Debate Whether Driver = Athlete

ESPN features a column written by Ed Hinton that seeks to squash the debate, once and for all, as to whether drivers are athletes.

Hinton asserts that drivers are not athletes, but in the end says it does not matter.

Instead, Hinton takes issue with the people who would argue that auto racing is not a sport.

He writes:

I’ve often wondered just when and how the American public’s definition of ’sport’ narrowed so radically to ‘athletics.’ If anybody bothered to pay attention to Webster anymore, they’d find under ’sport,’ 1. A source of diversion: PASTIME.

He also points to an Ernest Hemingway quote: There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering, all the others being games.

Hinton concludes:

Having had to cover the deaths of [Nigel] Mansell’s archrival in [Formula 1], Ayrton Senna, and his best friend in NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt, I am certain of this: Motor racing is no game.

This column is definitely worth the read, but I somehow doubt it will end the debate.

Sorenson To GEM?

Rumors are beginning to circulate that driver of Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 41 Sprint Cup entry, Reed Sorenson, may be headed to Gillett Evernham Motorsports next season.

Rumors have Sorenson either driving a fourth car fielded by the team, or possibly replacing Patrick Carpentier in the No. 10 entry.

While Sorenson was evasive in response to the rumors, he never denied them.

Aarons To Sponsor MWR’s No. 00, Reutimann

Michael Waltrip Racing has announced that Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership will sponsor the team’s No. 00 Sprint Cup entry and driver David Reutimann for 18 races in 2009.

The company will also sponsor MWR’s Nationwide entry for 10 races, with Reutimann and Michael Waltrip splitting time behind the wheel. This baffles me a bit as Reutimann has performed pretty well in the Nationwide series this year, and all indications are that he will contend for the championship in that series next year.

Splitting time with Waltrip seems like it will only hurt him, instead of help.