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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The NASCAR Cup Series is one of the most intense motor sports competitions in the world. To drive at an average 200mph for hundreds of miles is no ordinary feat and requires the highest levels of concentration. However, operating at such levels throughout the duration of a race is tiring work, and it’s not uncommon for drivers to get hungry. NASCAR allows its athletes to have a snack or two while racing and former Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr recently revealed how drivers consume these snacks during a race.

Joe Gibbs Racing had earlier released a video that showed how teams handed snacks to its drivers when they felt the need to eat something. Several fans had one question – how do the drivers eat the snack when they are busy racing at high speeds against intense competition? Well, it turns out that concentrating on anything apart from racing during a green flag is a strict no-no, but that does not mean that a driver should go hungry throughout the event.

From Granola Bars to hot dogs, here’s what drivers eat in the middle of a race

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The team released yet another video about the matter and this time, Martin Truex Jr himself was a part of it. Speaking to the camera, the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion said that the only time drivers can eat their snacks is under caution. The 43-year-old usually asks for a granola bar which is opened and placed in the pocket beside the driver’s seat when he comes in for a pit stop. Truex said that he usually has it whenever there is a caution and he does not have to race at full speed.

“Generally it’s under caution. You’re not like racing, you’re not going. You just unwrap it and stick like half of it in your mouth at once up in the helmet. Definitely not during a green flag, no. It’s gotta be a caution for sure,” the 43-year-old said. Eating a granola bar or anything at all while racing at full speed is not just irresponsible, but also extremely dangerous as far as a driver is concerned, and the helmet does not do any favors in that regard either.

The choice of food during or immediately after a race depends from driver to driver. While most prefer to have something that is not too heavy on the belly, there have been some unusual choices in the past. Jeff Gordon was once delivered a hot dog during a race, which he himself had asked for and Mark Martin had a thing for turkey sandwiches after races. As far as the great Jimmie Johnson is concerned, he preferred beverages over solid food during races.

A granola bar works just fine for Martin Truex Jr during races, but when it comes to food and racing, the 43-year-old had a moment to remember last year. It did not happen during a race. Rather, it was something that he was awarded after he won a particular event in the NASCAR Cup Series.

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When Martin Truex Jr was awarded a live lobster for winning a race

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There is a tradition in NASCAR, or rather in New Hampshire. The winner of the race will be presented with a live lobster. Martin Truex Jr emerged victorious in that event last year. And his pictures with the massive lobster had done several rounds on social media at the time. The former Cup Series champion was a bit skeptical about the crustacean’s weight at first, but it still looked delicious to the 43-year-old.

“I’m not sure. What is he, 28 pounds, something like that? 22? Didn’t feel too heavy to me, but I was all jacked up on adrenaline,” the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series said in the post-race press conference. “I’d damn sure like to go throw him on the grill right now if you can help me find him. Lobster rolls for everybody,” he added as those present in the room shared a laugh.

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Getting a snack to eat during a race is unique to NASCAR. Their main competitors, IndyCar and Formula One, do not have this particular system, so it’s no wonder that fans were curious about how it works. Thankfully, Martin Truex Jr has cleared up any doubts about the matter, at least for the time being.

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