Life after competing at the highest level of a particular sport could be difficult for some, but Dan Crocker, the former chef extraordinaire, has found a suitable pastime: working at his food stand.
Crocker was the crew chef for NASCAR teams such as Chip Ganassi Racing and Trackhouse Racing, his most recent stop in the sport. Before being the crew chef, he also drove trucks and hauled cars for teams, which is where he became ‘Showman Dan,’ his beloved moniker.
He worked alongside Kyle Larson and Justin Allgaier, among others, during his NASCAR career. That said, the sport dominated a hefty portion of his year, as it consisted of a 10-month season, during which he was flown to the track by a private plane.
From there, he began setting the meals for the day, he recalled to Maine Public. Once that race weekend was completed, he would do the same thing the following week.
“Every week, 36 weeks, 38 events. All across the country,” Crocker told the publication, adding that he worked and experienced that grind for more than a decade.
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The 68-year-old Crocker eventually found the constant grind tiresome, choosing to retire in November 2024. Despite his new venture, the former NASCAR crew chef will close his store in November and open in May 2026, giving him time to recover from the work.
Being a crew chef is a job most fans won’t spend too much time thinking about. In 2022, Trackhouse made a video introducing fans on who worked behind the scenes of the team, including Crocker.
In the video, Crocker gave more of his background and his duties as the crew chef at Trackhouse. “My job, my job really consists of on Fridays and Saturdays of feeding and so I actually feed them on Friday and Saturday and then I fuel them on Sunday for the long day,” he revealed.
What’s more, Crocker shared how he found time to volunteer, regardless of duties. “I go and volunteer and I make sure that every year that I go and volunteer and help out my hometown Salvation Army because when I was growing up that was my Christmas,” he continued.
DON’T MISS…
Although he appears to be enjoying his retirement, Crocker admitted on a recent appearance on ‘Cars Yeah’ what he misses the most from the track. “Obviously the people,” he said. “Definitely missed the people. I missed my brothers, sisters. I mean I was with these people for 17 years.
“I started at the very, very bottom. I started in KNN, worked my way up to ARCA my way up to trucks, went through trucks, went through Nationwide, Xfinity, and then to Cup.
“I miss them – I really miss the family. It’s definitely a brotherhood and you know everybody says, ‘Oh, I can’t wait for the season to end but once it ends, you says you can’t wait to get back to see your friends, because that’s our life – they’re our family, they’re friends. That’s what we do.”