>I use to feel the same way until I started watching it when I moved here from Chicago. Given the stress, the hand/eye coordination, reflexes, etc. required to drive one of those things around (I think that they run about 3,500 pounds), at speeds up to 200 MPH with little if any margin for error, it's a sport alright.

Take a look at bull-riding. The bulls approach those same weights, the riders need the same coordination and reflexes to survive for a full 8 seconds.

And you think car crashes are gruesome? When the bull wins the round, you really feel the riders' pain...

(I admit i watch mainly for the wrecks)