Danny Hamlin may have won yesterday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, but The Mario Batali Foundation and Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter were the real winners at the Asphalt Chef celebrity-studded charity fundraiser held on Saturday night. The event took place by the pool at the speedway’s Lone Star Tower and raised $85,515 for the two charities.
The event involved three teams facing off in a format similar to the Iron Chef . Batali teamed up with four times defending NASCAR Sprint Cup series champion Jimmy Johnson. TV personality Guy Fieri joined with NASCAR ace and 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch. Our hometown hero, chef Tim Love of Fort Worth’s Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and Foreigner front man Kelly Hansen made up team number three. The judges, NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip, NBC 5 broadcaster Newy Scruggs and the Texas Rangers pitcher Tommy Hunter, gave the victory Love and Hansen for their shrimp and grits with chorizo.
