NASCAR driver Ross Chastain pushed back on Stephen A. Smith after the ESPN personality said he doesn’t consider NASCAR drivers athletes.
“That’s his opinion. We’ve all got them. He has a microphone and he’s using it, and he got the clicks. I don’t know that he even — I know he doesn’t know me, and I don’t believe, I don’t know. I guess my opinion is I don’t know that he knows a NASCAR driver if one walked in the room, if we didn’t have our fire suit on,” Chastain told OutKick in a recent interview.
“If you don’t know the people that you’re giving an opinion on, I’m not sure that I can put much credit to it,” he added.
Smith made the original comments in April on his SiriusXM show, arguing that driving a car doesn’t require the physical exertion of other sports.
“Come on, man. That don’t count. You driving a car! 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.”
Smith also said in the same rant that golfers aren’t athletes.
Chastain wasn’t the only driver to object. Kyle Larson and Jeff Gordon also criticized Smith’s remarks. Chastain suggested Smith’s opinion carries less weight because he hasn’t met any NASCAR drivers in person.
“If you don’t know, like you have to, you at least have to know one driver, or have met them more than seeing a clip on TV. That’s his opinion. He’s got a big, big audience, that he talks to, through his microphone, and those waves go a long way, so that’s fine,” Chastain said, speaking on behalf of sponsor Busch Light.
