Recipes from the mothers of racing legends

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Jan. 21, 2009) – A new hard-cover cookbook, "Pit Stop in a Southern Kitchen: Two Moms of Racing Legends Serve Up Stories and Recipes," is scheduled to hit shelves this week. The authors, Martha Earnhardt and Carol Gordon Bickford, are steeped in racing history and have a variety of dishes for you to try. Earnhardt is the widow of Ralph Earnhardt, mother of the late Dale Earnhardt and grandmother of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bickford is the mother of four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon and is married to John Bickford, who serves as Gordon's business manager. The duo plans to hold signings at booksellers in select cities and appear on several national cooking and talk shows. With forewards written by Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 224-page book offers the best Southern dishes from Earnhardt's kitchen and finest California fare from Bickford's. Each recipe in the cookbook is designated by an “M” for Martha Earnhardt or a “C” for Carol Bickford. “The recipes in this cookbook are from our childhood kitchens, our friends, our kids and our kids’ friends,” an excerpt from the two ladies reads. Both women also offer traditional recipes. For instance, Bickford's best dish as far as Gordon is concerned is her lasagna. “Nobody makes lasagna like my mom,” said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. “She claims it’s her secret ingredient. I wouldn’t know about that. What I can tell you is, it’s great.” The secret ingredient, by the way, is revealed in the cookbook. “I don’t get to see Mamaw as often as I’d like because things are busy and I’m gone so much," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet. "But I know she’s always pulling for me on Sundays. So it’s cool that now I get to pull for her and see people come to appreciate her more when they read the stories in this book. I think she’s awesome, and I know you’ll think so too.” The cookbook is published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in Grand Rapids, Mich.