Oh come on are you gonna tell me that you dont believe that race car drivers are not athletes?
Inside those cars is very hot and the G forces they deal with is some only you and I can imagine.
Have you seen some of these guys in street cloths?
They are very fit men that train year round to do what very few people can do.
It's alot more that just holding your foot down you know.
Most top level drivers have engineering degree's did you know that?
Football player makes a mistake and what happends?
Maybe a penalty?
A driver makes a mistake or another driver next to hime makes a mistake ( see Dale Earnhardt) and you are either really hurt or dead simply no room for mistakes at those speeds.
Now question are they over paid?
Heck I think all athletes are over paid.
I mean in a society were we pay someone to stand out in a field and chew tobacco and scratch him self more than we do our police and our teachers well LOL something is wrong as I see it.
