National Event Track Food Vendors (1 Viewer)

[PJ]

Italian Ice at New England was amazing....don't remember the vendor now

 

[AJSMapleGrove]

$1 pint Ice Cream at Norwalk. Always have to wait in line, but it's worth it.

 

[DG]

Sometimes the track food in the Old Daze 'weren't that great". Drag Dawgs would kinda do you in sometimes. I seem to remember San Fernando had good food. At least I never got sick from it. heh

The In-N-Out family ran the concessions at the old 1/4 mile Irwindale track!

 

[mick]

ha! just remembered this story......many years ago BIR had a deal with local papa johns pizza, and PJ's would send these little golf cart contraptions around
the zoo every nite, very late, and sold the ch*t out of their pizza, everyone would always yell at them, 'who's your papa!'....... no sooner did that deal end, than
PJ's on a national level enters sport with Leah, but no pizza at the track.......now they're both gone.

 

[LoPony]

ha! just remembered this story......many years ago BIR had a deal with local papa johns pizza, and PJ's would send these little golf cart contraptions around
the zoo every nite, very late, and sold the ch*t out of their pizza, everyone would always yell at them, 'who's your papa!'....... no sooner did that deal end, than
PJ's on a national level enters sport with Leah, but no pizza at the track.......now they're both gone.

I would have loved to have seen a Papa John’s going around late at night. Despite their struggles, they still have the best takeout pizza.

 

[LoPony]

The In-N-Out family ran the concessions at the old 1/4 mile Irwindale track!

Gotta hand it to that franchise, especially for stepping up and sponsoring the Finals at Pomona! I hope that’s a relationship that thrives.

 

[Jim]

I would have loved to have seen a Papa John’s going around late at night. Despite their struggles, they still have the best takeout pizza.

You live a deprived life!

 

[LoPony]

Jim, I know pizza pretty well! I’m a New York/Brooklyn guy, and although Papa John’s isn’t the best, for fast-food chain takeout, it beats the pants off dominoes etc. Seeing a PJ’s guy with boxes of pizza late at night in the pits would be a godsend. Imagine how hungry you would be. That’s all I’m saying.

OK, let’s not start a pizza argument here, haha!

 

[Jer]

Jim, I know pizza pretty well! I’m a New York/Brooklyn guy, and although Papa John’s isn’t the best, for fast-food chain takeout, it beats the pants off dominoes etc. Seeing a PJ’s guy with boxes of pizza late at night in the pits would be a godsend. Imagine how hungry you would be. That’s all I’m saying.

OK, let’s not start a pizza argument here, haha!

Papa johns used to be at bristol,i remember the pizza and beer guy selling food in the stands,it was great!

 

[LoPony]

Papa johns used to be at bristol,i remember the pizza and beer guy selling food in the stands,it was great!

I’m sure it was great! Like hotdogs at ballgames. Except, better! Haha. Thanks for the reply. Please help keep this thread alive, one of my most favorite parts of NHRA national events is the food. It’s just part of the culture.

 

[Jim]

Jim, I know pizza pretty well! I’m a New York/Brooklyn guy, and although Papa John’s isn’t the best, for fast-food chain takeout, it beats the pants off dominoes etc. Seeing a PJ’s guy with boxes of pizza late at night in the pits would be a godsend. Imagine how hungry you would be. That’s all I’m saying.

OK, let’s not start a pizza argument here, haha!

For the chains, I agree with you. I was working at Norwalk late one night and they brought Pap John's into the media center. It did taste good.

Jim

 

[LoPony]

For the chains, I agree with you. I was working at Norwalk late one night and they brought Pap John's into the media center. It did taste good.

Jim

Yeah, man. late at night, hungry and pizzas show up.

 

[mick]

mentioned a while ago in some other thread, and now that the Mission deal is real ...... if you're walking into a national event around 8-9am,
and you saw a beautifully wrapped food trailer with Mission livery all over it, advertising hot, fresh, breakfast wraps and coffee, would you not get in line?
the next weekend at home you pick up some Mission tortillas and make your own because they were 2 tasty at the track

 

[sammi]

Mission brings a great product to NHRA. Remember how odd and embarrassing it was when our amazing sport was sponsored by the undrinkable Mello Yello. Nothing Mello about drag racing.

 

[65 Goatboy]

St. Louis 2023 had great vendors and a great selection. 2 philly cheese steaks and 2 lemonade's cost a little over $60. But I expect that just like going to any major sporting event.

 

[Randy]

Orange County International Raceway had the best chips and cheese with salsa.

 

[Jim]

Never (well, hardly ever) buy food at races or any outside event. Happy to just slap togeher ham and American cheese on rye with a generous slathering of grainy mustard.
That said, I thought the Fred Flintstone turkey legs at Pomona looked interesting but the thought of under cooked poultry disuaded me of that notion (and I have a cast irom stomach)/

 

[GumbyWVU]

Wondering what others’ experiences were these days. Track food used to be dynamite at Indy, Memphis, Atlanta, Bristol and Pomona. Wondering how it is on the national event trails these days? Good tracks? Bad ones? Does everyone have access to the independent food vendors (I.e pit and spectator side?). Never mind price - we expect it to be pricy. Not sure I ever trusted track-owned concessions unless they looked really good and had more stuff than just burgers, dogs and fries.

Memorable items:
Atlanta, ½ lb hmburgers on a giant grill behind the pit side stands. Polish sausage sandwiches.
Memphis, apple dumplings with cinnamon syrup and ice cream
Pomona, BBQ, burritos, Korean tacos.

Anyone else? Do they still have those independent food vendors? That was one of the main reasons for going to the track (unless you were in TEC in Pomona, which I did for two events and it was completely worth it).

My experience has been that Norwalk has by far the best selection/variety, and on both sides of the track, not just one. The few times were at Charlotte for the 4-Wide were not much to brag about, especially considering how nice the place is. Bristol had good stuff, again on both sides; I don't remember much to brag about from Maple Grove, and Indy never impressed me much either, especially in either 18 or 19 when on Sunday everyone was out of everything. The old days at Columbus, seems like they had those 1/2 or3/4 pound burgers that were really good.

Regarding the chains discussed elsewhere, they mostly are ok. But my names for them have been Pizza Slut, Little Greaser's Sloppa John's, and Domin-hoes. Even the worst pizza isn't that bad - its pizza! Unlike Chinese food which is either really good, good, or instant puke-able.

If you are ever in the northern panhandle of WV, around Wheeling, gotta try a local place/chain called DiCarlo's. Cold cheese pizza is what they are known for.