Kevin Harvick Responds to Stephen A. Smith’s Athlete Comments

Stephen A. Smith recently took back what many are calling his most misguided opinion by suggesting that golfers and NASCAR drivers shouldn’t be considered athletes. This, frankly, is astonishing. Especially when it comes to NASCAR, Kevin Harvick, a star in the sport, has a concrete example highlighting why that view is off-base.

During the final episode of fox speed—where Harvick was the host and Will Buxton represented IndyCar—Harvick said, “Here’s the deal with Stephen A. Smith: This guy knows nothing about racing. I don’t mind criticism about our sport, but if you lack knowledge, maybe holding opinions isn’t the best idea.” His words were pretty unforgiving, but he then shared a personal experience that underscored his point.

Harvick recalled that when he began focusing on his fitness, he reached out to a company named Polar to find a smartwatch suitable for racing. He mentioned that during his first race, he burned around 3,200 calories. “It was a 500-mile race on a hot day,” he explained, adding that it wasn’t something they were closely monitoring at the time.

The following week, the company reached out, expressing concerns about the calorie readings, suggesting that perhaps those figures were inaccurate. “You’re just a race driver; there’s no way you could burn that much energy,” they insisted.

In his next race, after taking a few more precautions, Harvick burned about 2,400 calories. He recounted how a representative from Polar later confirmed, “The first reading was correct. Only marathon runners typically burn that many calories while maintaining a steady heart rate.” This revelation, he said, was quite surprising.

This incident highlights just how misinformed some folks can be about racing. While everyone is entitled to their two cents, it might be better to hold back if there’s limited knowledge on the subject.