NASCAR fans revel in unhealthy, expensive, all-American food

A NASCAR Bubba enjoys a hot dog or Bubba Burger with all the fixings’'

In recent years, some Major League baseball stadiums have begun selling sushi or specialty salads as part of an effort to make more refined cuisine available.

Well, NASCAR isn't baseball.

At Sunday's NASCAR race at Pocono Raceway, some fans and food vendors said that all-American cuisine is what NASCAR fans go for when their bellies start to rumble.

"Hot dogs and cheeseburgers, that's what it really comes down to," said Donna Severance, part owner of D.J.'s, one of the raceway's major food vendors.

Severance, whose vending company travels to other events and venues around the U.S., said that she's tried adding healthier foods at the company's stands at NASCAR events, but such foods are usually ignored.

"At air shows, we sell healthy turkey wraps. We sell a few turkey wraps here, too, but to be honest, I think at NASCAR races, people are more interested in eating the whole honking turkey leg."

Severance said that NASCAR fans also like to imbibe in drinks that aren't too complicated. If it's hot, that means lemonade; if it's cold, coffee. American beers are popular; foreign labels less so.

NASCAR fans in most cases are allowed to bring their own food and drink with them into the racing stadium. Though vendors aren't happy about that, they are happy that many fans are particular about the stuff they like to eat and drink on race day. So if the beer that some fans bring with them gets warm, often they will spring for that $7 can of Budweiser from a vendor.

For Jeff LaFrance, a NASCAR fan from Luzerne County who was at Sunday's race, it all winds up working out.

"All I'm looking for if I'm coming to a race is a hot dog with pickles and mustard," he said. Pocono Record