Chefs Bio

"the Racing Chef"
On and off the track, Chef Nicky Morse is more commonly referred to as “the Racing Chef”. In 2010, Chef Nicky Morse joined SPEED as a personality hosting the weekly show “the Racing Chef.” The 30 episode run featured Chef Nicky traveling the NASCAR circuit cooking with drivers, fans, team owners, show hosts, vendors, and even featuring food from local restaurants. You could frequently catch Nicky on the NASCAR RACEDAY show cooking up something to share with the fans. He was also a guest on the Race Hub TV show. When it comes to racing and food, Chef Nicky is the expert! People, food, and entertaining are what he loves!
Chef Nicky Morse was born in London, Ohio and spent his entire childhood surrounded by many family members that had previously settled in that quaint small city. He learned the fine points of Italian cooking from many years of watching his grandmother in the kitchen. When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, his family and friends came to expect his consistent answer: “A gourmet chef.”
Nicky began his professional career as an apprentice at Columbus, Ohio’s only 4-star restaurant, Ziggy’s Continental, before becoming the Executive Sous Chef under owner and culinary Olympic gold medalist, Chef Ziggy Allespach. After several years of intense training under Chef Ziggy, Nicky learned what it took to compete among professional peers. Competing nationally, he won a Special Judge’s Award and medals in several culinary salons.
The Lakes Country Club in Westerville, Ohio, appreciated his role as Executive Sous Chef before moving his talents to the most northeastern part of the country where he spent time as the Executive Chef at the exclusive Small Point Club in Maine. Nicky was the Executive Sous Chef for The Columbus Club (One of Ohio’s most prestigious dining Clubs). Nicky served as Executive Sous Chef at the New Albany Country Club in Ohio, under culinary Olympic gold medalist, Chef Dudley McMahon. There he had the pleasure of entertaining many famous guests including club owner, Les Wexner, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and sports superstar, Jimmy Connors.
Nicky was a free-lance chef for Country Music Television cooking for celebrities such as Tanya Tucker, Faith Hill, Randy Travis, John Michael Montgomery, Lorrie Morgan, and the group, Alabama.
Nicky, a cancer survivor, began a quest to find a culinary position where he could share his talents, experience less stress, and most importantly, have fun. He found that position in 2002 when he was introduced to Jeg’s Drag Racing Team and became the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series’ only gourmet chef. During the eight years traveling the NHRA circuit with Jeg Coughlin Jr. (5X World Champion), Nicky cooked for a captive audience. He cooked for the team and visiting media in his “gourmet kitchen on wheels”.
Nicky was one of 25 invited chefs that joined the fight against cancer in 2003 and 2005, representing the Jeg’s Foundation (a foundation promoting the need for cancer awareness and cancer research) for the epitome of culinary fundraisers - the Five Star Sensation in Cleveland Ohio.
Chef Nicky spends much of his off time traveling and speaking to a number of students in schools about his career and about life lessons. He treasures anything from speaking to an auditorium of 3000 students at Autorama (America’s Premier custom car show in Detroit) to answering cooking questions in a small grade school classroom.
The New York Times says, “Chef Nicky is introducing the team to a whole new world of ingredients.” Journalists and television reporters wish to not only interview drivers, but Chef Nicky as well.
Northern Ohio Live says, “Culinary Stars Wolfgang Puck, Nicky Morse and more than 30 others cooked for the crowd; Andrew Firestone, star of television’s The Bachelor, showed off wines from Firestone Vineyards…The event Raised $1.4 million for cancer research.