Jeff Gordon's Mom and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s Grandma Share Recipes For Success

Jeff Gordon's mom, Carol Gordon Bickford, has spilled the beans about her famous NASCAR son.

Seems this four-time Sprint Cup Champion has one and only one demand of his mom, that she bring a big pan of lasagna whenever she comes to visit.

Martha Earnhardt, mother of Dale Earnhardt and grandma to Dale Junior, admits that her standard cooking has been basic meat and potatoes in her cast iron skillet.

That is, until Junior started racing throughout the country and introducing her to more "exotic" foods, like artichokes.

These two women have much in common, with rock star-status NASCAR car drivers as son and grandson respectively.

So it is no wonder that the two recently partnered on a very special project, a NASCAR cookbook.

Pit Stop in a Southern Kitchen: Tow Moms of Racing Legends Serve Up Stories & Recipes is the final product of their collaboration, bringing together opposite ends of the country and cuisine through the raiding of their family recipe cards.

Gordon's mom shares her culinary delights from the California area and Junior's grandmother tantalizes with her southern, down-home delights.

In this unique cookbook, both women share stories about their families and their famous racing brood.

Carol Gordon Bickford laughingly talks about how Jeff as a child used to go to a restaurant and order the most expensive thing on the menu, just to ensure that he got the “most” food.

Martha Earnhardt talks fondly about her cast iron pan and how it spawned so many home-cooked dinners, when simply being with family was what life was all about. She also shares that the skillet had been used so many times that the handle kept falling off, only to be welded back on by husband and legendary driver Ralph Earnhardt.

Both Junior and Jeff share some of their own words at the beginning of the cookbook.   Gordon's quote summed up the sentiments that both he and Junior feel about this special collaboration and collection of recipes.

"As a driver I know all about life racing by at a crazy pace, and I can promise you that the foods you'll find in the cookbook are worth slowing down to taste," shared Gordon.

Fans of both Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. can only hope that both these drivers only slow down to taste while off the track.

Like the sour cream in the lasagna sauce, fans are also looking for those special ingredients that will bring success to these two Hendrick teammates.

So, what would Martha's and Carol's recipe be for Jeff and Junior in 2009?

It would probably include a major portion of hard work, at least two cups of focus and team work, and just a dollop or two of luck for good measure. 

Bon a petit!