Scoreboard Gourmet

NASCAR block party in NYC - Champions Week

Remember last year when the NASCAR people and the NYC people decided it was a good idea to schedule a Victory Lap around Manhattan during rush hour on the same day as the Tree Lighting? Well, they got a bit smarter this year and will host a Block Party instead. That's December 4th. Think Tailgating on 43rd between 7th and 8th, with show cars and race simulators.

Dec 1st - NASCAR Street Tour (vehicles tour NYC and NJ and not sure where else or why exactly)

Dec 2-6 - Pit Stop Tour (show cars in key commuter and tourist spots around the city)

Dec 4-6 - Fan Fest at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square

Dec 5th - Awards Banquet

NASCAR's Coke Zero 400 - All You Can Eat at Daytona

Saturday July 5th NASCAR and the Daytona International Speedway and joining the race to fatten up sports fans - All You Can Eat at the Coke Zero 400, 'cause nothing says ZERO like AYCE.

For $15 + any Superstretch ticket ($50-90) you get access to an all-you-can-eat pre-race buffet that will have hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas, popcorn and nachos.

Snickers Garage Sale Sweepstakes

I don't know how or where I heard about this but here's the info...

Hit the track with engines blasting this race season and enter the SNICKERS ULTIMATE GARAGE SALE! Sweepstakes. With 10 weeks of amazing prizes, just grab a specially marked SNICKERS King Size Bar and get ready to win.    
* Enjoy your feast and find the code under the wrapper    
* Bank your codes and save them for a chance to win future grand prizes or    
* Enter them for a chance to win the current week's grand prize.

I think I'm going to buy a Snickers for the photo not displayed here.

Daytona 500-themed Beverages

Isn't this cool?

I wrapped two mini coke bottles (below) in t-shirts and flew them home. Haven't tasted the coke inside yet but they seem to be fine. Can't believe that was a month ago. We didn't buy or fly any beer home, by the way.

I would lo+ve it if You could send photos of sports-event-themed beverages to me, or just tell me about them. That way I'll have more incredibly exciting posts like this one. Thanks in advance.

Race Wines

Drivers, Teams, Tracks & Sponsors, reads the business card of California's Race Wines.

I've been trying to contact them, but it's not easy. Who can tell me something about Race Wines while the rest of us admire my photography?

Cheerios isn't the only NASCAR cereal; there's Frosted Flakes too

Frosted Flakes has been the primary sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet since 2000. Casey Mears is driving the #5 this season. Tomorrow is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway 400.

Team Kellogg's is: Casey Mears, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Jr.

And here's something awesome. Hopefully it will line up correctly. The Fav Kellogg's product of the Pit Crew (pictured top left, picture by SG, from Daytona of course)

Name	Position	Hometown	Favorite Kellogg's® Product
Mike Bumgarner	Car Chief	Huntersville, NC	Kellogg's® Rice Krispies Treats®
Chris Heroy	Race Engineer 1/Fuel Mileage	Angola, IN	Kellogg's® Pop-Tarts® Go-Tarts™
Scott Radel	Race Engineer 2/Catch Can	Massillon, OH	Kellogg's® Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite-Size
Gene Cornwell	Pit Support/Back-Up Tire Carrier	Rock Hill, SC	Kellogg's® Corn Pops® Cereal
Dan Graves	Tire Specialist	Newcastle, CA	Kellogg's® Frosted Flakes® Cereal
Kevin Hulstein	Underneath Rear Suspension/ Pit Support	Willmar, MN	Kellogg's® Frosted Flakes® Cereal
Jason Hunt	Jackman	Greensboro, NC	Cheez-It® Baked Snack Crackers
JD Holcomb	Front Tire Carrier	Whitesburg, KY	Kellogg's® Pop-Tarts® Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Toaster Pastries
Clint Jennings	Shock Specialist/Pit Support	Logan, OH	Kellogg's® Rice Krispies Treats®
Jason Jones	Rear Tire Carrier	Rhine, GA	Kellogg's® Froot Loops® Cereal
Josh Kirk	Interior Mechanic/ Rear Tire Changer	Chambersburg, PA	Kellogg's® Eggo® Homestyle Waffles
Eddie Masencup	Spotter	Winston-Salem, NC	Kellogg's® Rice Krispies®
Dean Mozingo	Truck Driver/Pit Support	Tampa, FL	Kellogg's® Corn Pops® Cereal
Jimmie Parrott	2nd Gas Can	Taylors, SC	Kellogg's® Pop-Tarts® Strawberry Toaster Pastries
Brad Pickens	Gasman	Greer, SC	Kellogg's® Pop-Tarts® Frosted S'mores Toaster Pastries
Mike Senyitko	Front Suspension Mechanic/ Pit Support	Cleveland, OH	Kellogg's® Nutri-Grain® Cereal Bars Mixed Berry
Ronnie Sipka	Gas Runner	Warwick, RI	Cheez-It® Baked Snack Crackers
Mark Wilkinson	Engine Tuner/Pit Support	Memphis, TN	Kellogg's® Frosted Mini-Wheats®
Kip Wolfmeier	Fuel Cell/Front Tire Changer	Kingdom City, MO	Keebler® E.L. Fudge® Cookies
Brian Whitesell	General Manager	Stuarts Draft, VA	Kellogg's® Froot Loops® Cereal
Mark Mauldin	Pit Coach	Spencer, NC	Kellogg's® Special K® Cereal

and another thing about the Daytona Superstretch Club

Here's another insane fact about the Daytona Superstretch Terrace Club...
If you went left on this buffet line (left), you could get rice and a sort of beef stew. If you went right, you could get a grayish vegetable thing, the beef stew, and chicken. Sheesh! And you really have to choose wisely because there's no way you're standing in line a second time - everyone's starving because of the lack of continuous food.

Jay (pictured right) went left and got no chicken. I went right and got no rice.

Speaking of Jay, TFMJ and I were lucky enough to hook up with Jay and his wife Joie. These two lovely Ohioans shared their outdoor table with us and we four talked about 80's bands (and some 90's ones too), conferences, traffic, food transportation, cities and suburbs, and, of course, the excellent potty situation.

Daytona Superstretch Club's Best Asset: the Potty

there's no question that the best feature of the Daytona International Speedway Superstretch Terrace Club is its potty trailer, and a potty is an important part of eating and drinking.

it may not look like much from the outside (left) but check out what's inside (right).

it's so fancy it's hard to believe. sure it's all faux, and sure it feels like the whole thing is about to tumble down whenever anyone walks, or when the wind blows, but at least you're going down in style.

Daytona Superstretch Club: a Super Scam

I know, I know...I should have learned my lesson about Fancy Seats last year in Tampa. What can I say  - I'm a glutton (pun intended) for punishment.  Also, I'm a bit vulnerable/gullible when it's weeks and months before an event I'm excited about. Those racetickets guys really deserve their paycheck - they sold me pretty good.

So here's the deal in Daytona...and I can guess the Frontstretch Club is similar to the Superstretch Club but please let me know if that's not right by leaving a comment below...
For something like $200 (estimate based on actual price of ticket and what was part of it), TFMJ and I had 8 cans of Miller Lite (the allotted amount), and about 8 sodas and waters. Additionally, I had a roll with dillweed, a tong-ful of salad, two halves of a brownie, and a bone-in chicken breast. TFMJ had two biscuits with gravy (breakfast leftovers), a chicken thigh, some sort of beef stew, and a spoonful of white rice.

Breakfast was served around 9am, and mostly cleared by 11:30am when we arrived. No food - not chips, not nuts, not popcorn, not anything - was served again until 1pm.

It was cool that Dale Jarrett was speaking when we arrived, and it was cool to have tables and chairs, and napkins, and it was cool to hear some live music, and there was an excellent bathroom situation, and we did get 2 programs ($15) and 2 little racecars, and 2 koozies (3, actually, because the guy was nice to me) but holycow were we starving.

The racetickets people convinced me that we'd be saving money because of the endless food. They also conned me into believing we'd get that free food both in the Club and at the Sprint FanZone. Not true. They neglected to tell me that the Club would be a 20-minute walk to our seats. No doubt some Frontstretch Club attendees had the same problem.

My advice, if you really want to patronize the Clubs, go early for breakfast and stuff yourself, see who will be speaking, walk around, stuff yourself and your pockets with soda and water, then stuff yourself with lunch, and use the potty as much as possible - that's actually the best part.

Daytona's Dancing Avocado Kitchen Gets a Gold Star from SG

the blue awning above the Dancing Avocado Kitchen says only "Avocado Kitchen" but don't let that concern you...it's the right place, and you absolutely should go in.

Wondering how much I liked my sandwich? That's my plate in the right picture (and my Strawberry Lemonade, on the 3rd refill). I had The Dancer, an avocado melt with avocado, red onion (they call it purple), cheddar jack, sprouts, and tomato on multigrain bread. It's awesome. our waitress told me the customer before me said she could eat one every day. I wholeheartedly agree. It's $6.75

TFMJ had the $8 burger burrito, and the $3.50 corn fritters and an Orange Lemonade. Our $2.25 lemonades were refilled many times.

The Dancing Avocado Kitchen makes and bottles two hot sauces. Pictured (and the one I bought) is Jalapeno. It was a great addition to my sandwich, btw. The other sauce is Garlic Habanero. They're both $4.95.

What's better than a great sandwich? The DAK is across the street from the home of the Daytona Cubs (single-A Cubs), Jackie Robinson Stadium. More on that later.

p.s. we did not have time to go to Delphine, DAK's neighbor, but we did hear it was quite good. If anyone can confirm or deny that statement, please leave a comment below. thanks.