Track Food

[Boorish Grobian]

This topic occurred to me while watching a re-broadcast of last season's BTCC round at Oulton Park on Speed TV the other night, and thought it would make a light winter topic.
Kept noticing a van parked at Hilltop, on the approach to Knickerbrook, that had "Top Burger" splashed across it.
Got me thinking, being a long-time consumer of many a trackside burger, what's the best, and worst track food from your experience?
One simple rule, can't include the stuff you bring with you, or have eaten at a campsite (the Harper family, and the Sebring Turn 10 guys are always going to win the best grub battle for me),
Has to be either the stuff from official trackside booth's, or one the venders that have the rights to sell their cuisine on the grounds.
Best for me? There's a guy in the village that sells (at least he did last time I was there in "02) rotisserie chcicken at Le Mans that is fabulous, I make a mean beer can chicken, and still can't make a bird as tasty as this guy's.  Worst?  Oh lord! The dreaded Brickyard Burger at IMS. Pre-formed, pre-cooked, re-heated in a steaming pan, over-priced, and absolutely awful.  Notable mention from the circuits I have experience of?  Sebring's deep fried gator fritters are terrific, the Grill on the Hill at Road Atlanta has pretty good burgers, Road America's bratwurst is legendary.  Mid Ohio used to have decent food, but its gone into serious decline in recent years (in fact it sucks now), the only bright spot being the guy's who drive around on golf carts with hot pizza, and cold brews on the back for sale.
Grobs

[Fran]

I am a fan of the LM crepe - pretty much any flavour!

Not strictly "track" but the kebab van on Parking Bleu does a pretty good feed.

Any trackside burger van gets the thumbs down from me... oh, and tartiflette!

F

[Brad Zarse]

oh, and tartiflette!

SACRILEGE I TELL YOU!!!!

Tartiflette, after 4 days of eating meat, bread and brie, is absolutely the most wonderful thing, in the whole world! 

I've tried making it at home, but I just can't make it quite as sloppy as they do in LM.... 

[Bob U]

Ah the Rotisserie Chicken. Haven't seen it there for a few years but it was the most tasty chicken I've ever had, and when you asked for chicken and chips that's exactly what you got, a whole chicken.
The worst? Has to be the Steak American from thr stalls behind the tribunes. Awful grissley, tasteless piece of horse with the texture of Ghandi's flip flop served with cold limp frites. Even after a good few beers I f**ked it  straight in the bin? Don't buy it.
The biggest disappointment? The no show of Felix's chippy van a few years ago. I was really looking forward to a fish supper on Friday night.

[lofty]

mallory parks fry up
or dirty barrys of the same.

[Fran]

oh, and tartiflette! 

SACRILEGE I TELL YOU!!!!

I knew it was going to be a controversial one.

[pretzel]

A good few years back at Le Mans, (well before the new village and all that) there used to be a guy on the outside of the LM Track not too far down towards the main grandstands from the Dunlop bridge that used to do freshly cooked omelettes and frites. Surely the best omelette I have ever tasted. We used to go there every year without fail, and the first time they were no longer there was a real disappointment. The burgers at Castle Combe always bring a smile to my face too - simple and probably made from all sorts of crap but very tasty and give a true evocation of no-nonsense track food.

As for the worst, well almost anything at an authorised food seller at the British GP is a good candidate.

[championaudi]

I was always curious of the food hygene star rating of the hot food sellers under the bridge from expo to main entrance......, I was never that hungry at 4am.
Best.
The old toasted burger seller, top of pits bend grandstand at wimbledon stadium, huge queue,s all night & of course, old aldershot stadium pasties

[Snoring Rhino]

The no show of Felix's chippy van a few years ago. I was really looking forward to a fish supper on Friday night.

Yes I have searched far and wide for Felix's Chippy Van, I have heard it is most excellent British Fish and Chips and Mars Bar fritters.

[Boorish Grobian]

Good call on the crepes Fran, there was a crepe stand behind the tribunes opposite the pits at LM, when I went there with the Harper's, we used to make a late night trip to those tribunes, and banana crepes did a remarkable job of reviving our rapidly dwindling energy.
Agreed Bob, i still dream of that chicken...
Another canidate for worst, the giant turkey legs they sell at Indy.  For decades I went there and watched people go full Visigoth on those things, then a couple of years ago at the Moto GP, after sufficient lubrication I finally broke down and purchased one.  It was more like a salty ham in taste, and texture, but it was so tough the only way to eat it was to gnaw at it like a Hyena on a old Wildebeest bone.
B Grobs

[Brad Zarse]

Good call on the crepes Fran, there was a crepe stand behind the tribunes opposite the pits at LM, when I went there with the Harper's, we used to make a late night trip to those tribunes, and banana crepes did a remarkable job of reviving our rapidly dwindling energy.
Agreed Bob, i still dream of that chicken...
Another canidate for worst, the giant turkey legs they sell at Indy.  For decades I went there and watched people go full Visigoth on those things, then a couple of years ago at the Moto GP, after sufficient lubrication I finally broke down and purchased one.  It was more like a salty ham in taste, and texture, but it was so tough the only way to eat it was to gnaw at it like a Hyena on a old Wildebeest bone.
B Grobs

They sell those at Disney as well!!

They taste SO much like ham, that this is exactly what I thought the first one I had, was. 
I actually quite liked them.....

[Boorish Grobian]

The taste wasn't bad at all, just VERY salty, felt like I needed a IV drip after eating it.  But it was like chewing on leather boot.  I think the one I bought had been sitting for a while...

[Steve Pyro]

I second Brad.  Tartliflete at LM is a Sunday lunchtime must after 4 days solid of red meat.

A stand out track food memory for me would be fish and chips at Santa Pod back in the early '90's after a hard day beering and have my ears decimated.

But the 2012 big track food memory for me was just about anything I ate whilst at Bonneville Speed Week.  With the sights of the salt and sounds of the cars and bike, just about anything was manna from heaven.
.... and if it wasn't seasoned to your taste, there was always plenty of salt about!

With regard to that old rascal Felix, I have an old contact email somewhere.  I may see if I can stir him from his slumber.

[enzo]

I've always been partial to the Gran Marnier crepes early on sunday morning especially when they let you grab the big bottle and douse the crepe with it. Never ever touch the stuff the rest of the year but always appeals to me at that time.

The worst i've ever had has been sausage and chips from Mondello park here in Ireland you can age the sausage like the trees with the fry ring from how many time they've been in the oil !!

[chop456]

Road America's bratwurst is legendary.

Road America gets my vote.  Each stall is operated by a different local charity/church or service club and each has a different menu.  Roasted sweet corn, schnitzelburgers or breakfast sandwiches at the Lion's Club, grilled pork sandwiches at the Optimist Club, plate lunch or Brats at St. John the Baptist.  All excellent, reasonably priced and all the monies toward a good cause.  They got it right, I think.