Meet the Man Who Does Everything for NASCAR team
His name is Jamie Price, but everyone calls him “Montana,” because he lived there. He is the hauler driver for the No. 20 Toyota Camry driven by Christopher Bell for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
But the words “hauler driver” don’t do justice to the reach of his responsibilities or the essential role he plays on his racing team.
Yes, he drives the tractor-trailer that houses No. 20 to and from 38 races during the season. But he also ensures the trailer, beyond the car, is properly stocked, including radios, fire suits and spare parts. He assists with car maintenance and helps ready the car for race-day inspections and joins pit support for practices, qualifying and races.
And “Montana” is the team cook. He plans, shops for and prepares meals to feed up to 25 people during NASCAR events. He’ll be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for NASCAR weekend.
We caught up with “Montana,” also known as the Man Who Does Everything (and knows where everything is), to learn about his life in the fast lane.
Las Vegas Review-Journal: How did you become a NASCAR hauler driver?
Jamie “Montana” Price: I watched racing on TV while I lived up in Montana, and then in the back of my mind, that was on the bucket list. I had some friends and a cousin that was on one of the teams, and when we moved down here (to Charlotte, North Carolina), I did some part-time driving, then full time. I worked my way up to the Cup Series. I’ve been with Joe Gibbs Racing since 2011.
How big is the big rig you’re driving?
It’s 75 feet bumper to bumper, from the front of the tractor to the rear of the trailer. It’s 80,000 pounds, or 40 tons … about $2 million rolling down the road.
How long does the 2,200-mile trip from Charlotte to Vegas take?
There’s two of us in the truck. When we head out to Vegas, the first driver, he’ll drive 10 or 11 hours, the other driver sleeps, and vice versa. It takes about 36 hours to get to Vegas from Charlotte.
What was your culinary experience when you began cooking for the team?
I had no background in cooking. None. Zilch. I made a lot of phone calls to Mom and my sister. It was pretty rough at first, a lot of burnt hamburgers and pre-made stuff. But cooking is part of the hauler driver’s duties. That is automatic.
Do you haul a lot of cooking equipment with you?
All I have to cook with is a propane barbecue and a Crock-Pot. I have no oven, no running water. I do have a refrigerator. You get creative.
What goes into meal planning for a race weekend?
You look for sales (at the supermarket). I’ll ask the guys during the week what they’re craving. How much time I have at the track also shapes the planning. I still have other duties. Also, the weather. If it’s going to be mid-90s, and heat index well over a hundred, and muggy, I am not going to cook chili. It’s going to be something cold; pasta salad, a BLT, maybe.
They like pasta for the carbs, the energy. Everybody likes steaks, but that’s not a good race day meal — too heavy, slows them down. We’re not cooking a three-course meal at the track, though.
How much time will you have to cook during Vegas weekend?
Saturday, when we practice, I have maybe an hour to prep and cook, so it’s got to be something quick. On Sunday, I get about an hour and a half when I first get there. I want to feed the guys no later than two hours before the race starts just to let them get settled. The whole thing has to be organized.
What is one dish you know you’re going to cook in Vegas?
I’ve got to cook for Christopher that weekend, so I’ll definitely cook chicken and rice. (Bell loves the dish.) I do breasts and thighs. The rice is Uncle Ben’s.
Is there a dish you’d like to cook for the team, but it won’t work at the track?
Probably lasagna. The hour and a half it takes to cook, I just don’t have.
Now that you cook for a living, in part, do you cook in your off time?
The wife and I have a gentlemen’s agreement: Whoever gets home first starts cooking.