I absolutely adore everything about the process of cooking (aside from cleaning up), and I’ve been on a recent kick where I try to somehow combine my love of motorsport with that love of cuisine. That has primarily manifested in Grand Prix Gastronomy, a cooking series I host that runs alongside the Formula 1 calendar — but I’ve been hungry for some home-grown dishes. That’s why I ordered a copy of Champions: Favorite Foods of Indy Car Racing from eBay.
Longtime Jalopnik readers might recognize this cookbook; that’s because I first wrote about it back in 2021, after I pulled it from a shelf at the International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen. I was compelled by it then, and I remain compelled by it now — enough so that I thought it’s high time I put together some of these dishes for you fine readers here.
But wow, some of these recipes are just… well, if you grew up in the American midwest, or in any other rural area of the USA, then these dishes will probably seem a little familiar. Let’s delve in.