Art of tailgating: NASCAR fans great with the grill

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Tailgating is as much a part of NASCAR as the cars that roll across the track.

And just as track conditions have evolved over the years, so has tailgating.

The techniques and flavors of the time-honored tradition, which centers around an open flame and open arms, is becoming just as sophisticated and trendy as the sport it occupies.

Mario Batali knows this first hand.

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A celebrity chef and food ambassador for NASCAR, the culinary expert observes tailgaters at the tracks like a crew chief studies crankshafts in an engine.

"I'm noticing the food seems higher end, it seems, fancier in a way," said Batali, in Daytona this weekend promoting the kickoff of NASCAR Cooks!, a program designed to spotlight NASCAR and its love affair with food ultimately leading to a TV and radio show.

That said, Batali said you still see hamburgers and hot dogs being prepared at every turn, only some are revved up a bit, much like the Carrabba burger Batali prepared for several race teams getting ready for Saturday night's Pepsi 400.

The burgers are jam-packed with jalapenos, chipotle peppers and chili pepper -- pretty spicy, Batali said -- and in true tailgater fashion, the epicurean ate one for breakfast Saturday.

Jody Weiss brings a refined style to the tailgating tradition as well. Growing up in Hawaii, the 38-year-old is known for his Huli-Huli chicken, an authentic Hawaii dish with an Asian infusion of ginger and soy sauce.

"I like to prepare different things," he said. "Things that make my friends ask for more, but really it's about keeping your belly full and seeing what trouble you can get into."

Ginger and soy sauce are two ingredients typically not equated with NASCAR tailgating but they are in line with the trend of growing ingenuity around the tracks.

One example was discovered by Batali last spring at Texas Motor Speedway. A gang of tailgaters laid down a bed of coals several feet long to slow roast a steer.

"I came around the corner and there was an entire steer spit roasting and had been for a day and a half," he said. "I didn't expect to see a whole cow, a whole 1,600-pound beast on a pit, but it was delicious."

Then there was the "Midnight Gumbo" found at Talladega Superspeedway.

"At midnight this area in the infield turned into a sort of night club and this guy was making gumbo in a 30-pound pot," he said. "It was some of the most delicious and beautiful gumbo I've ever had and he was just giving it away."

Giving it away is a large part of what makes tailgating special. Americans, especially NASCAR fans, have perfected the art of sharing their food with people they've never met before.

"We wouldn't have it any other way. The food is what brings people together at these races," said Scott Coombs, 44 of Orlando, Fla.

Coombs was posted up near a multi-million-dollar motor home equipped with a satellite radio and television -- a setup that would make tailgating and camping purists cringe. (Continued)