The Wienie 500: Why This Race is a ‘Buns-in-a-Lifetime’ Opportunity

The Wienie 500: The meatiest race in motorsports [0:00]

Greg: On the same stage as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, six Wienermobiles converge and have just two laps to show what they're made of. What most people don't know is how much is on the line. These Hotdoggers have dedicated an entire year of their lives to living inside giant hot dogs, but only one team can be crowned top dog and take home the coveted Borg-Wiener Trophy.

Fan 1: We’re so proud of you. Way to get it, man. Way to be the wiener!

Andy Richter: Welcome to the Wienie 500.

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Meet the Hotdoggers: The hardest seat to secure in all of racing [0:40]

Greg: Everyone you talk to, you always hear how hard it is to get into IndyCar or to Formula 1, but just try being a Hotdogger. Every year, over 5,000 people apply, but just 12 make the cut, and those lucky few are split into six pairs.

Ben: I'm “Bun-Length” Ben.

Bridget: And my name is “Bologna Bridget,” and we are Team Chicago Dog.

Emma: I'm “Miles of Smiles” Emma, and I'm on Team Seattle.

Raena: And I'm “Relish Raena,” and I'm on Team Seattle.

Zoe: I'm “Zo Weenie.”

Hunter: And I'm “Hot Diggity” Hunter.

Zoe: And we're bringing the heat.

Gabby: We're Team Slaw Dog, reigning champs. I'm “Grill ‘Em Up” Gabby.

Isaac: And I'm “At The Grill” Isaac.

Maggie: My name is “Meatloaf” Maggie.

Trey: And I’m “Tailgate” Trey.

Jack: My name is Jack, or “Jack and Cheese.”

Camila: My name is Camila, also known as “Cook ‘Em” Cam.

Jack: And welcome to New York Dog.

Camila: New York Dog or bust.

Jack: Come on. Boom!

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A year on the road: 20,000 miles before race day [1:26]

Greg: For 12 months, they'll eat, sleep, and live together, driving every inch of their part of the country.

Trey: Every year, Oscar Mayer ushers in a brand new class of Hotdoggers, so you only get to do the job for a year.

Hunter: And we're so excited to be representing Team Chili Dog. We've been driving around the South region with the Wienermobile for the past year, and we're really excited to bring it home for these fans.

Gabby: It's been magical. It's a “buns-in-a-lifetime” experience, one that we—honestly, I could have never imagined being here, and it's really just been something to relish for us in every moment.

Greg: To put it into perspective, these Hotdoggers will journey 20,000 miles or more in the year, but they're not alone. Their family and fans come out to support them, like a pit crew of sorts, helping them along the way.

Trey: Just making people smile is really just what we're here for.

Camila: My mom taught me how to drive, and she learned how to drive on a racetrack. So, it's doing it for the people who have lifted us up as we hit the road and the hot dog highways and create that magic that only the Wienermobile can.

Jack: Doing it for them.

Camila: Doing it for them.

Jack: There's a girl I met in Princeton, and it's her birthday today. So, shout out to her. This is for her birthday.

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Beef with one another: The trash talk is relentless [2:28]

Greg: On most days, these Hotdoggers get along pretty well. But with the world's most delicious trophy on the line, you have to be sure beef is inevitable.

Emma: Chili Dog, their competition's chili. They don't have what it takes to be a top dog.

Raena: And Corn Dog, where's the bun?

Trey: You’ve got some tough competition out there. Some of my closest friends out there on the track, but today it's 100% beef.

Raena: Oh, New York Dog. They think they're all that. So East Coast, but they're just another dog to grill.

Emma: Another team to beat.

Jack: Slaw Dog, you know, I think they're maybe a little bit confident from their win last year. It makes them just all the easier to take down.

Gabby: We've got a couple of sly dogs coming up here. We've got Chicago Dog—came in second to us last year. I know that they want some revenge. They're feeling pretty salty. And then, of course, Chili Dog thinks that they're the top dog of the South. So, we're here to prove them wrong.

Bridget: We're going to drag those other weenies right through the garden.

Ben: They can't ketchup.

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Inside the Wienermobile: 60 hot dogs long and built to race [3:16]

Greg: Well, to do that, they have to drag their wiener over the finish line in first place, and that requires quite some effort.

Maggie: These are sophisticated vehicles. There's a Chevy V8 Vortec engine in there. I mean, a lot of surprises just about the build and the make, that people aren't aware of. So, I would definitely say, don't get too comfortable.

Greg: These things come in at 60 hot dogs long, 18 hot dogs wide, and weigh in at just under 141,000 hot dogs. Moving that much meat requires the most cutting-edge race tech money can buy.

Maggie: These are the best two seats in the house. I'm sitting in the delicious driver's seat. Right here is shotbun. This is where the co-pilot sits. It does take four eyes to drive these big dogs. This is our bun box, way cooler than a glove box. This is where we keep everything we need to travel. Our bunroof, so much cooler than a sunroof, because it's totally removable. Someone can actually sit up there when we do parades, things like that. If you look all the way at the back, that is our AV system back there, that big black box. It's how we can have the lights on. We can play music inside and outside the vehicle. We also have our mustard-colored walls and the ketchup-colored floor.

Now, if you look down at the mustard river here, you can see we are messy with our condiments. That actually didn't used to be there, but Tailgate Trey, he's a very messy eater. So, I mean, we’ve really got all the fixings.

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Corn Dog’s aerodognamics advantage [4:29]

Greg: To keep the playing field level, the Wienie 500 is traditionally a spec series. But this year, Corn Dog brought an upgrade package no one expected.

Trey: We're experimenting with some new “aerodognamics” for the vehicle. We’ve got a six-foot stick to really represent Corn Dog. We're hoping it'll give us downforce on the corners and keep people out of our slipstream on the straights.

Maggie: Keep ‘em off our buns.

Ben: They have a stick on the back of their Wienermobile, and I'd like to ask, “is that an aerodognamics advantage?”

Raena: We'll see about those aerodognamics. I mean, I feel like the science is still out there, but when we get on that track, we'll see who the real top dog is. That's for sure.

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The Hotdoggers get schooled by IndyCar drivers [5:02]

Greg: People always ask, “is it the driver or the car?” I can't speak for IndyCar or F1, but at the highest levels of Wiener racing, you need to have the right training and attitude to win.

Scott McLaughlin: You guys ready to win this race?

Hunter: Oh, of course.

Scott McLaughlin: I don't teach losers.

Sting Ray Robb: Rule number one, downforce.

Rinus VeeKay: Turn left. Turn left again.

Alex Palou: It's better to crash than to finish second.

Scott Dixon: Being well-seasoned typically helps.

Isaac: I got to speak with Alex Palou. He gave us some great advice on how to stay top dog. I'm just hoping to be a speedy wienie out there and make some good left turns.

Jack: I think the one that we connected with most was probably Nolan Siegel, he was great.

Hunter: Yeah, we had the opportunity to meet with Sting Ray Robb, and also Scott McLaughlin. They gave us some really good advice, mostly to make sure you always turn left and don't turn right. They really put that winner's mindset into us.

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What’s really driving the Hotdoggers on race day [5:48]

Ben: We're ready to spill a little ketchup out there on the track. Can I say that?

Isaac: I'm willing to put it all out there on the track. If it means going bun to bun out there, then I'm willing to do it.

Zoe: Winning is in my heart through and through, so I'm going to do whatever it takes to win and cross that finish line first and be the top dog.

Camila: It's all a mental game. So, we've been watching last year's race, but then also just grilling up a strategy that we've kept close to our stomachs.

Bridget: We've been really getting into the top dog “condimentality.” So, practicing some meditation, and every single left turn we take will be taken with pride, passion, and the people of Chicago and the greater Midwest.

Trey: They picked us, and that just means even more. We feel like we're representing the whole country here.

Camila: Think about those bragging rights.

Jack: Oh, yeah.

Camila: First things first. Wow. I mean, to be able to end our year with this big moment, just means everything.

Emma: It means everything. To get to race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is such a privilege, and it's a “buns-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.

Bridget: This race is super special because it's very rare when all six Wienermobiles get to come together. Being able to race against one another, it's such a surreal experience. So, we'll be doing two laps, see who's the top dog, and we've really been practicing and looking forward to this moment this whole year.

Raena: We are the big dog, and we want to kiss some bricks today.

Maggie: We're here at the meatiest race in motorsports, ready to find out today, who's the top dog.

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Fans pick their favorite Wienermobiles (and the villain) [7:06]

Andy Richter: Welcome to the Wienie 500.

Ben and Bridget: Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener. That is what I'd truly like to be. Because if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener, everyone would be in love with me.

Fan 2: We are rooting for Corn Dog. They're the up-and-comers. Let's go!

Fan 1: New York Dog. Let's go, “Jack and Cheese”, “Cook ‘Em” Cam. New York Dog, baby!

Fan 3: Chili Dog's my girl. Well, my sister, not my girl. Hold on, wait. Chili Dog, my home dog. Let's go.

Fan 4: I want the Chili Dog to win. I do not want New York to win. People are very against the New York hot dog here. I don't know why, but I'm very excited to be here, and I'm very happy.

Jack: Nobody does it like New York.

Camila: So, we are… we're ready. I’m hungry.

Jack: You ever seen a New Yorker walk? No, they’re on the move, baby. Come on.

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Green flag: The second-ever Wienie 500 [7:58]

Andy Richter: Weenies, start your engines!

Track Announcer: And the green flag waves.

James Hinchcliffe: And it’s going to be a phenomenal race. It's going to be a thrash, a marathon run to the finish line.

Townsend Bell: Got to look at the trail of New York Dog now. Almost has lost the draft entirely back there. You have got to think that all the boos from this crowd when New York Dog was introduced…

James Hinchcliffe: Oh, yeah.

Townsend Bell: The locals are not a fan. And you’ve got to think it's playing in their heads a little bit.

Track Announcer: New York Dog with the lead.

Will Buxton: New York Dog has the run to the line. Here comes New York Dog. Chili Dog looking to make the move around the outside of the rundown to the Yard of Bricks. Who’s it going to be? It’s New York Dog! And the crowd hates it. The crowd are on their feet and furious.

Fan 4: What just happened? What happened?

Fan 5: What happened?

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There can only be one wiener [9:11]

Greg: Corn Dog’s magic stick flopped. Slaw failed to defend their title. And Chili just couldn't find the secret sauce. But New York, they're immortal. Not just in the history buns, I mean, in the minds and stomachs of their fans, friends, and family.

Fan 1: I'm so happy for you guys. Way to go, “Jack and Cheese” and “Cook ‘Em” Cam. We're so proud of you. Way to get it, man. Way to be the wiener!

Jack: Feeling great, man.

Camila: It’s amazing.

Jack: Top of the world, really, you know?

Camila: Yeah. You say you’re top dog, and proving it is just an unreal feeling.

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Cover photo courtesy of Oscar Mayer.