Newman dishes up a fave

He’s your 2008 Daytona 500 champion, Ryan Newman. The first-time winner of NASCAR’s biggest race takes his eating and cooking seriously to help stay fit and ready for each week’s race. Newman, who drives the No. 12 Alltel Dodge for the Penske Racing Team, has become a fan favorite with his aggressive style and upbeat humility. He is an Indiana native and has a degree in vehicle structure engineering from Purdue University. When Newman’s not at the track, you usually can find him fishing at the pond on his land in North Carolina with his wife, Krissie.

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Of your NASCAR Nextel Cup counterparts, who has an offbeat or unusual eating regimen or habit?

“On the No. 2 hauler, they have tuna fish salad every week, and Cindy Lewis, the truck driver, has to make it different ways. Kurt Busch, who drives the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge and helped me win in Daytona, won’t eat it if it has onions in it. Cindy makes it with onions and mayo for the rest of the crew.”

Favorite NASCAR city to visit because of the restaurants, and why:

“There are a couple of good restaurants that we visit while on the road. In Dover, Del., the team always goes out to Sambo’s, a great dockside seafood restaurant. When the team lands in Loudon, N.H., we’ll eat at the Naswa Resort a few times. The atmosphere at Naswa is great. A lot of the guys on the No. 12 Alltel Dodge team like to go to In-N-Out Burger when we visit California.”

Do you follow recipes exactly or improvise?

“Usually, I’ll just fix it the way I want. I don’t cook much in the kitchen. I usually grill whatever I cook, so it’s easy just to make up my own dishes. If I decide I want BBQ sauce one time and then use a different kind of sauce the next time, that’s what I’ll cook.”

During a race, ever get cravings for certain foods or drinks?

“I will sometimes need some extra water or Gatorade during a race, but I don’t ask for food.”

Ryan Newman’s Honey-Mustard BBQ Pork Chops

1/3 cup honey

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon white wine

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

8 thin cut pork chops

Cooking oil

Place honey, orange juice, vinegar, wine, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, tarragon and mustard in a large resealable plastic bag. Slash fatty edge of each chop in about three places without cutting into the meat. This will prevent the meat from curling during cooking. Place chops in the plastic bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Preheat grill for high heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place chops on grill, and discard marinade. Cook chops for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, or to desired doneness.