YES! Some consider NASCAR a sport because yes anyone can drive but how many people in the world can drive a car at 200 MPH for 3.5 to 4 hours per race. It is considered to be competitive racing were the cars are inches from each other where one mistake can cost thousands of dollars. They may have names to their cars but they are not exactly a car you can see driving down the road. The cars would need to be recreated from scratch, from the frame, to the body, to the engine. At the same time it is considered a Motorsport and they are in the same category with Formula 1 racing, Rally Racing, Motocross, and many other types of racing. While the cars are driving the G-forces can be as intense as a roller coaster, and they while have to deal with that all day to get to the end.

NO! Some consider NASCAR not a sport because they think all they do all day is make left turns all day. Millions of people around the world drive a car everyday, so how hard can driving a car in a oval be? Just because it may be highly skilled and talented at it does not consider people athletes. A FedEx worker could be considered skilled at boxing packages but people wouldn't consider it athletic. The person puts little effort in the car only controlling the throttle and steering the car, but the machine provides the power to the car. To some other people consider NASCAR more of a division than a sport. This is still respected at what it is but saying this to those consider it not a sport.

Stats from the Internet:

Debate.org "Is NASCAR a Sport?" 53% Yes 47% No

Debate.org "Should NASCAR be considered a Sport" 38% Yes 62% No

This chart will help you answer 'Is it a sport?' 67% say F1 is a Sport. But drops to 59% when NASCAR