Quote:
Originally Posted by Mustang Fanboy
They ARE armature drivers. Driving is not their profession, writing is. They don't get paid to drive, they get paid to write. They are no more a professional driver than a sportscaster is a professional athlete.
Are they better than you or me, most certainly. That in itself doesn't negate the fact that they are amateurs. It’s difficult for professionals to put up consistent lap times on a daily basis, let alone yearly. Throw in different amateur drivers years apart…you get the picture.
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Your analogy is not at all accurate. No sportscaster gets out on a pro field and performs sports activities. They watch from the sideline and write about it. The auto reviewers in questions, GET PAID TO DRIVE the cars, and then write about their experience. The don't sit in the sidelines of the track, watch pros drive, and then report on it. COMPLETELY 100% DIFFERENT!!! When you get paid to drive, you are by definition, a professional driver. Even truck drivers are professional drivers. No, they aren't professional race car drivers, but they are professional drivers none the less.
But these car reviewers (the ones used to test the cars) will have significantly more experience at driving around a track than any amateur. Calling them an amateur is not at all accurate. And not only can they drive the cars, they can look for aspects of the vehicle's performance and articulate them in a written article. That is their profession, and that is what we need. Can a race car driver be faster and a bit more consistent? Yes. But these reviewers have been hotlapping, day after day, year after year, in cars of all makes and models, in all kinds of conditions, and they do it for their profession. They have decades of experience under their belts that can tell us a ton of great information. It just so happens, that this is the kind of information that we need.
To call them an amateur is a gross over exaggeration.