Celebrity Drive: Food Network Celebrity Chef and car junkie Guy Fieri is a true Bow-Tie guy
He does believe people could drive more gas-efficient cars for commuting. "We need fuel efficiency in cars. But I sure hope we never get away from pure raw horsepower. There's something about it, it's inside of all of us, the animal, the tiger, the whatever, but when you call something horsepower, there's just no changing that."
New CAFE rules will aim for almost 32 mpg by 2015, which could spell the end of the high-testosterone, musclecar era. "If that's what they may make it, that's why I'm holding onto all mine," Fieri comments in response to the new proposed standards. "If it's not going to be available, I'll have my stockpile."
But Fieri adds he wouldn't be surprised if he ends up adding a Green car to his stable. "When it comes to travel and commuting, I'm saying without question we need to go in that Green movement. We can't burn up all our natural resources," Fieri admits. "But when it comes to the indulgence of the Sunday afternoon and firing up that 450-horsepower V-8 with a Muncie M22 Rock Crusher in it and just rarararahh! You just can't take that away."
Favorite Road Trip
Having traveled all over the country for his popular "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" show, choosing his favorite road trip was a tough call for Fieri.
"I love going down to the South. We were just in Mississippi and Alabama, saw some great food down there," Fieri said. "Route 66 was a blast. We do so much backroad travel. A lot of these places aren't in the major metropolitan cities. They're in these small little towns."
While he has to travel half the month for "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," Fieri has no complaints. "It's absolutely a blast. The biggest downfall is being away from the family, but going to great places, meeting great people, eating great food -- one of the biggest fortunes that comes out of this is the impact that it makes on the businesses we visit. It's just unbelievable."
When not doing one of his Food Network shows, Fieri can be seen driving to one of his four restaurants -- the two Johnny Garlic's in Santa Rosa and the two Tex Wasabis in Sacramento and Santa Rosa.
And that sweet 1967 Chevy C10 pickup shelved in his garage may have to wait before Fieri gets the time to put the hot rod together exactly as he wants. That's because Fieri is busy with the opening of another Johnny Garlic's in Roseville scheduled for the end of summer.