Trackside buffet fuels race car drivers for Detroit Grand Prix
Detroit Grand Prix drivers and their crews spend hours at the track. So what do they eat?
Many go with food from Scheper Event Group, whose buffet-style mobile restaurant travels with different race series.
Kaitlin Scheper, who is overseeing Detroit's operation, said their 11-person crew is feeding 200-400 people for each meal at Detroit Christ Church, located along the race route. This is a small operation relative to some of the company's catering, where it feeds up to 1,500 people a meal, she said.
This is Scheper's second year working with their mobile kitchen set up in the church parking lot. Many times, Scheper sets up its dining area in a big tent, but the church provides indoor seating and relief from the elements.
The church can usually seat 120 comfortably, the church's associate for communications, Bethann Tesluk, said, but the Schepers crew can get teams in and out quickly throughout meal periods.
Scheper said the meal space can be a place for drivers and crews to catch a break from the track and pits as well as to catch up with and banter with former co-workers and opponents they've known for many years.
More: Detroit Grand Prix 2025 guide: Free activities, road closures, parking, weather and more
More: Detroit Grand Prix: A beginner's guide to IndyCar Series racing
'It is a competition at the end of the day, but it's fun to see everybody come together, take a little lunch break and be chatting and joking and having a good time,' Scheper said.
What do they eat?
Schepers provides an array of foods, including salads, hot dogs, fried chicken, vegan options and more, but the driver-specific buffet is usually plain pasta or rice, a steamed vegetable and a simple meat, like chicken breast, Scheper said.
'This is a huge positive to the (Prix) series, just having this as an option for the teams because it's one less thing for the teams to have to worry about,' Scheper said. 'They don't have to necessarily worry about where I'm going to go get lunch for my crew when they're in the middle of a race, they know that there's an option on site.'
Schepers Event Group coordinates with the race officials, but drivers and their teams pay by meal, with a heads up in advance, if they plan to eat with Schepers.
Schepers Event Group is a family business that's been around for 30 years. Scheper said they have expanded and are always looking for new oppressors and feedback at www.schepereventgroup.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trackside buffet fuels race car drivers for Detroit Grand Prix
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