Recently, an unfortunate tragedy struck the NASCAR community and the Stewart-Haas Racing team. As it turned out, the team’s cook, fondly known as ‘Big John,’ passed away. Suffice to say, Big John Youk was a pretty popular figure and will be sorely missed by the paddock.

John began his involvement with NASCAR way back in 1995 and worked in the industry for decades. He was self-taught, aided by his grandmother and mother.

Former driver Tony Stewart once said about him, “Big John’s a great cook. If we’re in Dover he has Philly cheese steaks. If we’re in New Hampshire he has lobster. He tries to cook stuff that’s sort of special to that area. He keeps it different and it’s always good, and that’s breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

Admittedly, not much is known about the cause of his passing, but many fans flocked to Twitter to pay their respects.

Among the consoling masses were former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, and SHR crew chief Rodney Childers. As an SHR employee, Childers probably knew Youk pretty well within the team. This is mostly because he has been with the team for a very long time. Interestingly, he teamed up with Meredith Books to launch his own cookbook called ‘Speedway Grill’ in 2006.

What lies ahead for the Stewart-Haas Racing team?

Now, the organization will have the difficult task of moving on without ‘Big John’ in the garage. According to Stewart, Youk usually stepped up to the plate while taking care of sponsor representatives. The team now has to hire a cook to replace the man that has been with them since 1995. It will be a daunting task for anyone to fill Youk’s shoes.

Meanwhile, the drivers will try to have their focus on the track and the upcoming 2022 Cup Series season. This is the start of a new era in the sport with the Next Gen cars. So, the team will want to be the first one to come out swinging.

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