When only the best will do …
A Kentucky tradition since 1963, the Moonlite Bar-B-Q in Owensboro, Ky., has been voted the Best Barbecue in Kentucky by Kentucky Monthly and Kentucky Living readers. Now ask anybody from Kansas City or Dallas or maybe Memphis, and they will all solidly refute that claim, boldly claiming their local barbecue to be the finest in all the land!
Where am I going with all of this? Another fine Kentucky tradition is Earl’s Racing Team in Owensboro, Ky. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the home of Earl’s Racing Team with Mel Harder from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Hayden’s had graciously agreed to loan a very special motorcycle to the IMS to exhibit in their booth at the Dealer News Powersports Expo in Indianapolis.
On a brisk but sunny Sunday morning, Mel and I drove down to the “OWB” to meet up with Earl Hayden at the family compound. Nestled in the back of garage complex was a Hayden racing fan’s NIRVANA of racing memorabilia! Proudly sitting next to a collection of Nicky, Tommy and Roger Lee championship motorcycles, leathers, helmets and trophies was the 2006 Honda RC211V motorcycle that carried Nicky over the finish line at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana in Valencia, Spain, in November 2006, winning the 2006 MotoGP World Championship.
Earl Hayden is one proud father, and we spent the better part of an hour talking about all his kids’ accomplishments and touring the Earl’s Racing Team compound before loading up Nicky’s 2006 MotoGP championship motorcycle in the trailer for the trip back to Indianapolis.
Now back to the Moonlite Bar-B-Q. If you’re ever in the “OWB” and have the chance to ask Earl Hayden where a good place is for lunch, you better be ready to experience the Best Barbecue in Kentucky, if not the best in the land! And, oh by the way, it is just across the street from the Hayden family compound, ready to serve an outstanding gastronomic experience in the finest Kentucky tradition.
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg