DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Happy Daytona Day! It’s the morning of the 500-mile Great American Race, and NASCAR’s best drivers are doing everything they can to give themselves the best chance of victory after the green flag flies (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
But breakfast can be tricky because they need to devour something high in protein that won’t weigh them down once they’re in the driver’s seat. So what are some of the best drivers eating for their most important meal on race day?
Turns out, many of them enjoy a pretty standard, American breakfast – some version of eggs, meat and plenty of water to stay hydrated. Past Daytona 500 winners Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano are all big fans of scrambled eggs – sausage and turkey bacon included – while Austin Dillon is more of a western-omelet-with-ham kind of driver.
“I like to put some turkey bacon in [the eggs], mix it up, scramble them and put some hot sauce in there and get them spicy,” Earnhardt said, specifically, Slap Ya Mama hot sauce. “It’s pretty hot.”
Although not every driver is a fan of spicy eggs or even spicy food on race day. Sometimes, it doesn’t end well.
“I ate spicy food before a race one time, and it was a horrible idea,” said Jeffrey Earnhardt, Junior’s nephew who’s racing in his first Daytona 500. “Spicy food does not sit well whenever it gets hot and you’re out driving around at 200 mph.”
While Jeffrey said he’s not much of a breakfast guy and needs to get better at that, Logano has a go-big-or-go-home attitude with his first meal of the day. Along with his scrambled eggs, he likes turkey bacon, an avocado and yogurt.
No. 37 driver Chris Buescher eats a bowl of Cheerios. (Also, Buescher is sponsored by Cheerios.)
2010 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray gets a little more creative with his breakfast, and he changes it up every once in a while.
Jamie McMurray and Austin Dillon (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
“My favorite thing right now that I’ve been eating is either oatmeal with poached eggs on top or toast with avocado, poached eggs and tomatoes,” McMurray said. “It’s super filling, and I can make it in my bus, so it’s easy.”
And to drink? Hamlin prefers two percent milk while Brad Keselowski drinks glasses of orange juice and water.
Forty-year-old McMurray said he loves “jet black coffee, as strong as you can get it,” adding that he’s been drinking two cups every morning since he was a teenager.
But coffee isn’t for everyone.
Joey Logano (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
“I just drink a lot of water,” an animated Logano said. “I don’t need coffee. I’m wide open all the time so coffee would be really bad. We would crash lap one if I had coffee.”
No coffee. Definitely no coffee.
