Teen chef the winner of NASCAR Cooks! contest

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Middleton, Del., teen who turned her family's love of cheese into a new burger wound up tailgating with NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace

Alexis DiOrrio and her entire family met the 1989 NASCAR champion and ABC commentator in the infield of Talladega Superspeedway last weekend. DiOrrio, 16, is the winner of the inaugural NASCAR Cooks! Race Day Recipe Contest. DiOrrio shared her culinary expertise with Wallace by demonstrating how to prepare her award-winning recipe for "The Ultimate Inside Out Burger."

Instead of using toppings to "top" her burger, Alexis put them inside the burger. Hence the recipe title, "The Ultimate Inside Out Burger."

"My mom loves blue cheese," DiOrrio explained, "my dad loves Swiss cheese. My little brother, Nicholas, loves bacon, and I love onions. So I put it all together and decided to make it inside out."

It is no surprise DiOrrio's favorite chef is Mario Batali -- author of the cookbook, Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style and known for his inventive and daring use of ingredients.

Thousands of fans voted online to select the winner of the NASCAR Cooks! Race Day Recipe Contest. The Grand Prize was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tailgate with Wallace in Talladega, the track known as one of the best places to camp and cook on the NASCAR circuit.

Contest rules were basic -- submit your best race day recipe for a chance to tailgate with Wallace in Talladega. Batali helped kick off the eight-week contest at Daytona in July. Experts in the culinary industry selected one winner each week. All weekly winners were posted on NASCAR.COM for fans to vote. Fans could vote multiple times.

The weekly winners:

• Week 1 -- Hot Lap Jalapenos
Recipe submitted by Nancy Busch from Ukiah, Calif.

• Week 2 -- Big Daddy's Grilled Hawaiian Chicken
Recipe submitted by Robert Brown from Branson, Mo.

• Week 3 -- Cecchini Checkered Flag Chili
Recipe submitted by Michelle Cecchini from Ormond Beach, Fla.

• Week 4 -- Caution Wrap Burgers
Recipe submitted by Cyndie Frederick from Sebring, Fla.

• Week 5 -- Tubbs Tailgater's Fruit Kebob's
Recipe submitted by Sherry Tubbs from Princeton, La.

• Week 6 -- The Ultimate Inside Out Burger
Recipe Submitted by Alexis DiOrrio from Middletown, Del.

• Week 7 -- Melt in your mouth like cheap tennis shoes to a road in summertime in Talladega, Grilled Salmon
Recipe Submitted by Janet L. Strader from Riner, Va.

• Week 8 -- Speedway Cheese Balls
Recipe Submitted by Kae O'Brien from Spokane, Wash.

Special award recipients include:

• Best Leftover Recipe -- "Two Pepper Bean Casserole" submitted by Vincent Bowler from Farmington Hills, Mich.

• Most Original Title -- "Ribs of Tomorrow" submitted by Jill Hilliard from Corpus Christi, Texas

• Best Recipe Served With Beer -- "H-O-T like Kasey, Cajun Chicken Lasagna" submitted by Alicia Rice from Kinsman, Ohio

• Best Recipe Served on a Sturdy Plate -- "Bumpin Brats with Racin' Red Kraut submitted by Russ Hagar from Sioux Falls, S.D.

NASCAR Cooks! embodies the spirit of tailgating and family gatherings. NASCAR has partnered with many quality products including Birchwood Foods, "The Official Burger of NASCAR." All of the food category partners of NASCAR are promoted collectively under the NASCAR Cooks! umbrella and catch phrase "When family, friends and food get together -- NASCAR Cooks!"

Coming in 2008

NASCAR Cooks! ramps up during the grilling season in late spring 2008. At that time, fans can log onto NASCAR.COM for the latest retail promotions, contests, grocery lists and advice on food, grilling and more.

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