>And yes, downhill ski racing is a sport in my mind because the navigation is done by human power and unassisted by hydraulics *s*.

Well then I dont see why you dont consider motorsports a sport on the same assumption...

it takes human power to navigate the car down/around the track.

it takes a tremendous amount of human power or rather blue collar skill to build a competitive car. For example, my husband is somewhat of an urban legend in a small pond up here for building engines that cant be beat... he's got 20+ years of experience and it's once been the last few years where we got good enough to earn this reputation.

it takes extreme physical labor to keep the car running (many NASCAR pit crews have their own personal trainers and do extensive weight training for stamina) between rounds or laps. In boat racing, we've pulled an entire engine, rebuilt the top half, stuck it back in & fired it up to test, and did it in under an hour in order to make the next round. Very athletic IMHO, just in different sort of setting.

Winning is alway based on human reaction and how quickly you react to situations. The fastest car in the world doesnt stand a chance with an unexperienced driver going up against an experienced driver, especially in drag racing where he who starts first is most likely to win in somewhat equally matched cars.