Danica gives the Martinsville dog another go
October 25, 2014, Pat DeCola, NASCAR.com
Stewart-Haas driver goes mustard-only -- was it the right choice? 
The Martinsville Speedway hot dog is an iconic delicacy on the NASCAR circuit.
So iconic, in fact, that it ranked right up there in the "Famous At-Track Foods in NASCAR" piece we did earlier in the week.
So, how the heck has Danica Patrick avoided having a second speedway staple since her debut at the short track last spring?
"I had an awesome first race here at Martinsville. I had a hot dog," Patrick said Friday in her media session. "I haven't had a hot dog since then."
Knowing that the hot dog may be the key to her success at the track -- she finished 12th in her hot diggity dog debut but has averaged a finish of 24.5 in two hot dog-less races since -- Patrick planned on giving the dog another go on Saturday.
"I just walked by the concession stand and said, 'I will be back for a hot dog.' ... I don't want to risk eating it on race day. I'm not really sure that is a good idea. Even if I feel sick I feel like it works.
"They don't look like regular hot dogs, but maybe that is because they don't have the regular effect of a hot dog. They help you in the race car. That is my plan this weekend."
She made good on her plan and ended her hot dog holdout when she chomped down on a whole mess of goodness, and even did so in her firesuit.
Worth noting: Patrick elected for the mustard-only dog, perhaps a nod to her Illinois roots, where a typical "Chicago dog" is served sans-ketchup.
if you're ordering a non-standard Special for luck, might as well not order at all...