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Meet the Staff: Sarnowsky enjoys "dream job" managing Lucas Oil Speedway Diamond Cafe

By Lyndal Scranton (Wheatland, MO) -- Feeding thousands of hungry Lucas Oil Speedway race fans not only is a job for Susan Sarnowsky, it's a passion.

"I live four miles from the track. It's my dream job," said Sarnowsky, who is entering her second year as manager of the popular Lucas Oil Speedway Diamond Cafe.

Sarnowsky has one of the bigger behind-the scenes jobs at the speedway, making sure everything from soft drinks to sandwiches to the ever-popular chicken tinga is stocked and ready to roll each week from April through October.

"We take a lot of pride in the quality of our food and customer service and Susan and her staff in the Diamond Cafe are second to none," Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager Dan Robinson said. "I know she takes pride in her job and is passionate about it."

Susan Sarnowsky calls managing the Diamond Cafe her "dream job."
Sarnowsky is starting her fifth year at Lucas Oil Speedway, having started in the pit office before serving as assistant of concession for two years before the promotion to Diamond Cafe manager.

Working at the speedway seems a natural fit for Sarnowsky, who is a fan of all styles of racing from NASCAR to dirt track to drag boats.

"I used to work at the convenience store right around the corner (from Lucas Oil Speedway), the Casey's General Store, even back when it was a Bullseye," Sarnowsky said. "I was assistant manager at Casey's for a couple of years and I got to know people from the speedway as they came in to get coffee in the mornings or they came in after the races."

Upon being asked by a speedway official if she wanted to work in the pit office, Sarnowsky said the answer was easy.

"You have to get your foot in the door somehow," she said. "It's been great."

Busy weeks, when there are multiple-day events, are a challenge that Sarnowsky enjoys. The Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series events - the John Haas Memorial in June and the Diamond Drag Boat Classic in September - are her favorites.

The Diamond Cafe crew must feed the VIPs, volunteers and staff breakfast and lunch three straight days and the days can be 18-20 hours when combined with dirt-track action in the evening.

Sarnowsky said keeping the menu current and evolving is a big goal. She attempts to add a new featured item each year, with loaded baked potatoes last year. In 2017, an item spurred by Wisconsin native Robinson is being added.

"We're calling it Dan's Pizza Burger," Sarnowsky said. "It's a pork sausage patty with shredded mozzarella cheese in the middle with pizza sauce and a slice of mozzarella on top with a hamburger bun."

The Lucas Oil Speedway 2017 schedule fires up with the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series opener on April 8 followed by the 4th annual MLRA Spring Nationals Presented by RacingJunk.com on April 14-15. A practice day is set for April 1 at the speedway.

For complete Lucas Oil Speedway event information, archived stories, ticket info and schedule information for the season, visit http://LucasOilSpeedway.com. Three-day passes for the 25th annual Show-Me 100 Presented by http://www.ProtecttheHarvest.com are now on sale.

Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With it's entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.

Click http://www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.

In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking "Like" at http://www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on http://www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway.

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