Racing & RV'ing!

My family drag races.  Since I was a baby I've been following in my Dad's footsteps at the track. I drove my own car for 20 years before turning it over to my son last year.  I still attend the races but my duties now are those of crew chief and cook.

In the "old" days we would be at the track all day, living out of the tow rig, usually a pickup truck. At night we would go out to eat and stay at a hotel. In the last 30 years  or so RV's have become a popular tow vehicle.  They get the race car there and also provide a home at the track.  My parents have had various motor homes over the years, we bought ours 10 years ago.  Having an RV at the track makes for a more enjoyable race experience. No more hotel rooms, fighting morning traffic to the track, waiting in line at restaurants.  We have an awning to protect us from sun & rain.  There is a lot of down time in drag racing. With the RV we can nap, watch a movie, play cards. I get a lot of stitching done during race trips.

Though my RV kitchen is small, there is nothing I can't do in here. I have a 2-burner stove and a combination convection/microwave oven. I can easily stock a week's worth of food in the refrigerator and freezer. 

Counter space is limited  which is the hardest thing for me to deal with. I'm used to a lot of counter space and my 8 foot island at home! We do have a small dining table that can be used for food prep. On race weekends the table usually becomes drag race central so I lose the ability to utilize this space for food preparation. (There is a lot of record keeping with drag racing, tracking the weather and track conditions, what opponents are running. The data collected becomes very important on race day).

During our most recent race weekend I made homemade ice cream, potato salad, spaghetti. We grilled burgers. For breakfasts we had eggs, bacon, ebelskivers, biscuits and sausage gravy. The refrigerator held fresh melon, yogurt, fruit, items for sandwiches, cold water and, yes, some beer for after-racing relaxation. We had well-balanced meals at the same cost as eating at home. We usually share our meals with some of our fellow racers so it's always a fun time with all the bantering going back and forth!

The only problem with cooking and eating at the track is this, the after-dinner mess and no dishwasher!