PETA recognizes NASCAR for vegan food

[Vegan Food]

NASCAR fans are known for consuming large quantities of barbecue, fried chicken, hamburgers and thousands of the famous Martinsville hot dogs at NASCAR races each year.

But apparently some fans are leaning toward healthier food choices these days.

Martinsville's hot dogs are among the most famous menu items on the NASCAR circuit, but Speedway Motorsports Inc. is making waves for providing vegan fare. (NASCAR Media Photo)

NASCAR, IndyCar, Speedway Motorsports Inc. and food-service provider Levy Restaurants have each won a High Octane Award from PETA for providing healthy and “cruelty-free vegan fuel” at auto racing events.

The four companies will receive framed certificates and be featured on PETA’s website, peta.org.

"Compassionate and health-conscious car-racing fans who take advantage of vegan options at the track can help make sure that they'll be around for many more races to come," PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk said in a press release from the organization.

According to PETA, tracks that feature vegan food include SMI’s Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Chicagoland Speedway, an International Speedway Corp. track, also has vegan fare.

Among the food choices offered by those tracks are: Going Green Salad With Fried Green Tomatoes; Summer Vegetable and Tofu Flatbread; and Sloppy Jane (made from soy, peppers, onions, molasses and brown sugar barbecue sauce).

This is not PETA’s first foray into NASCAR. In 2004, actress and PETA spokesperson Pamela Anderson publicly urged Dale Earnhardt Jr. to use his Kentucky Fried Chicken sponsorship to make fans aware of the company’s alleged abuse of chickens.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2012-05-09/peta-nascar-fan...

So what do you think?  Does NASCAR deserve an award?