Competitive eater Matt Stonie hams it up for fans at the Ford Championship Weekend - Speedway Digest

On Sunday, November 22, a competition of mammoth proportions took place at the Homestead Miami Speedway. No, it wasn’t the Ford EcoBoost 400, it was a world record setting attempt by competitive eater Matt Stonie, who devoured 71 ribs, which equals about 5 racks of ribs!

Once his stomach settled, we were able to spend a couple minutes with him to ask him about the feat, his profession, and more!

1) How did you get started in competitive eating?
My very first encounter with competitive eating was actually a local Bay Area food challenge, a giant 5lb Burrito in Downtown San Jose, but it really didn’t get started until I competed in a nearby contest and won. I was a freshman in college and just won $1000 for 10mins of eating free lobster rolls, so it seemed like a pretty sweet gig.
2) What is your favorite food?
That’s probably one of the hardest question for me to answer! I love food, all kinds of food, but just coming out of today’s event in Miami setting the 5-min Fresh Pork Rib Eating Record with Smithfield, I’d have to say BBQ is pretty high on my list right now. Those Ribs were amazing.
3) Least favorite?

As I said, I love food, so this is a hard one too, but I’m not a big fan of overly spicy foods. I prefer to taste the food, not taste my tongue on fire haha!
4) Are you a race fan? If so, who is your favorite driver?

Yes, I love some R&R – racing and ribs! And my favorite driver is, of course, Aric Almirola of the No. 43 Smithfield car and Richard Petty.
5) How would you describe the sport of competitive eating, and how does it compare to NASCAR?

I think it’s all about the fun, intensity and passion, which I think anyone would agree are all great adjectives to describe the NASCAR experience as well. We, the competitors/racers, are all passionate and love what we do, and we love putting on a great show for everyone who comes out. Also, from what I’ve seen, NASCAR fans love food too!
6) What is your most memorable eating moment?

I‘ve definitely had few good ones, but being able to partner up with Smithfield to not only help kick-off, but to also help close the 2015 Racing season by eating their delicious Pork products and setting two World Records has truly been one for the books.
7) How do you prepare for an eating challenge?
I eat food! No trickery about it, you have to practice with what you’re preparing for. These past few weeks have been all Ribs, and it paid off with a great World Record.
8) Did the quality of the Smithfield ribs make them easier to get down?

Oh for sure. In and out of a contest environment I love my Pork Ribs to be very tender, fall-off-the bone, juicy, and coated with just the right amount of sauce. Smithfield provided me with their own brand of Fresh Pork Ribs today which were all of the above and made the Event all the more enjoyable, which is why Smithfield is my go-to for great Ribs.

9) What is your favorite Smithfield product?
Smithfield makes many amazing Pork products, from Marinated Tenderloins, to Ham Steaks, Sausages, and of course, Ribs & Bacon! I currently hold two World Records using Smithfield Pork Products, Bacon (182 Slices in 5-mins) & Ribs (71 Ribs in 5-mins), but I have to say, even though all their products are great, I love their Bacon. It’s delicious, premium quality, cut just right, it’s great Bacon.
10) What is your next eating record attempt going to be?

Nothing planed as of now! The winter/early spring time is usually pretty quiet for Competitive Eating contests, but I maintain a YouTube channel where I post a lot of insane Eating Stunts throughout the year. That’s where you’ll be able to, if you haven’t already, check out full contest footage of the World Record being set and the Smithfield Whole Hog Challenge Finals!

After a stunt like this, it’s hard to imagine what Smithfield has in mind for next season. Speedweeks at the Daytona International Speedway will be here sooner than you think. Visit http://daytonainternationalspeedway.com for more details.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.