Plot Synopsis

Teams operating gourmet food trucks start on the West Coast and travel across America, stopping in various cities to compete in food challenges against each other, as they vie for the grand prize. At each stop, the teams begin with empty trucks and an equal amount of seed money. They have a short time period to prepare, promote and sell their food by any means necessary. After enduring triumphs, failures, and tests of character, the totals are tallied and the trucks find out who continues the great race and who goes home. In Season 1, the seven professional food trucks were: Austin Daily Press (Austin, TX); Crepes Bonaparte (Fullerton, CA); Grill 'Em All (Los Angeles, CA); Nana Queens (Culver City, CA); Nom Nom Truck (Los Angeles, CA); Ragin' Cajun (Hermosa Beach, CA); and Spencer on the Go (San Francisco, CA).

These eight professional food trucks competed in Season 2: Cafe Con Leche (Los Angeles, CA); Devilicious Food Truck (San Diego, CA); Hodge Podge (Cleveland, OH); Korilla BBQ (New York City, NY); Roxy's Grilled Cheese (Boston, MA); Seabirds Food Truck (Costa Mesa, CA); Sky's Gourmet Tacos (Los Angeles, CA); and The Lime Truck (Irvine, CA).

Season 3 changed the format slightly; instead of using professional food truck operators, the series featured these eight teams that would love to have a food truck: Seoul Sausage's Yong Kim, Chris Oh and Ted Kim; Under the Crust's Hannah Cohen, her mom Sheri Cohen, and friend Gary Miller; Pop-a-Waffle with Anthony, Bobaloo and Scott; Pizza Mike's with Mike and his friends, Pat and Carlo; Nonna's Kitchenette with three best friends Jaclyn, Jessica and Lisa; Momma's Grizzly Grub with Angela, daughter Adriane and best friend Tiffany; Tawanaca Davenport, Lena Price and Mike Jones are the truckers behind Coast of Atlanta; and Barbie Babes is made up of the native Aussie beauties, Jasmin De Main, Hayley Chapman and Skye Boucaut.

Season 4, which premiered on Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 9pm ET/PT, featured eight trucks traveling from Hollywood to San Francisco, then on to Portland, Oregon and Pocatello, Idaho, and then continuing to Mt. Rushmore, the Twin Cities, and Chicago, and ending in Annapolis and at the Washington Monument. The eight trucks in Season 4 were: Boardwalk Breakfast Empire (Sea Bright, NJ); Aloha Plate (Los Angeles, CA; Maui and Oahu, HI); Murphy's Spud Truck (Los Angeles, CA); Philly's Finest Sambonis (Philadelphia, PA); Bowled and Beautiful (Los Angeles, CA); Tikka Tikka Taco (St. Louis, MO); The Slide Show (Los Angeles, CA); and The Frankfoota Truck (New York City, NY).

THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE returned for its fifth season on Sunday, August 17, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, with these teams competing for the grand prize: Beach Cruiser (Venice, CA); Chatty Chicken Truck (Chattanooga, TN); Gourmet Graduates (Providence, RI); Let There Be Bacon (Cleveland, OH); Lone Star Chuck Wagon (Houston, TX); Madres Mexican Meals (Norwalk, CA); Middle Feast (Los Angeles, CA); and Military Moms (Fort Drum, NY). On Sunday, August 23, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT, Food Network premiered the six-episode sixth season of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE, with Tyler welcoming seven teams of professional food truck operators from around the country, including: Diso's Italian Sandwich Society (Brooklyn, NY), GD Bro Truck (Orange Country, CA), Pho Nomenal Dumplings (Raleigh, NC), Postcards (Los Angeles, CA), Spice It Up (Phoenix, AZ), The Guava Tree Truck (Dallas, TX) and Waffle Love (Provo, UT).

In Season 6, the competitors cook and travel along historic Route 66 on a 2,500-mile road battle that kicks off in Santa Monica, CA, then hits Sedona, AZ and Santa Fe, NM, followed by stops in Amarillo, TX; Tulsa, Oklahoma and St. Louis, culminating with a finale in Chicago, where the winning truck is awarded a $50,000 cash prize. In the season opener, Tyler welcomes the seven teams to Santa Monica and immediately sends them on their first challenge: a race to sell $200 of their signature dish on Santa Monica Pier. After a head-to-head sales showdown, the teams embark on their epic journey down historic Route 66. Their first stop is Lake Havasu City, AZ where after a blistering day of selling, Tyler gives the first Truck Stop Challenge. Each team must create their own take on a fish and chips dish, and the first team to sell 20 orders wins a cash prize.

Season 7 of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE premiered on Sunday, August 28, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network with a new title: THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: FAMILY FACE-OFF. Host Tyler Florence is back for a fierce food battle on wheels with a relative twist -- this time, the six teams fighting for the $50,000 grand prize are family and have never operated a food truck before. From a Chicago police officer and her sister to cheese expert identical twins to reality star Vinny Guadagnino, his mother and uncle, the competitors are all passionate about food and ready to hit the road cooking. This season's competitors are: Bigmista's Fatty Wagon - Long Beach, California (Neil Strawder, Phillis Strawder, Eric Lara); Carretto Siciliano - Staten Island, New York (Vinny Guadagnino, Paola Guadagnino, Angelo Giaimo); Fortune Cooking - Milford, Michigan & Denver, Colorado (Tom Lin, Julie Hill-Lin, Tiffany Webster); Grilled Cheese All-Stars - San Francisco & San Diego, California (Michael Kalish, Charlie Kalish, Bryce Adams); Lei-Away Leidies - Provo, Utah & Laie, Hawaii (Carey Ofahengaue, Summer Prescott, Autumn Prescott) and Sweet Southern Soul - Chicago, Illinois & Atlanta, Georgia (Tiffany Ermon, Tikia Travis, Kizzma Snoddy). In the first episode, the six family teams kick off the race with a funnel cake eating contest at a theme park in Los Angeles. After leaving the park, host Tyler Florence gives the families their first signature menu cooking challenge. Then the teams go head-to-head in a bidding war for a prime selling spot on the theme park grounds. The least successful team is sent home, and these rookies realize operating a food truck is much harder than having fun in the California sun. The race then heads to Ventura County for a strawberry festival, an ostrich egg hunt in Santa Barbara, a roadside attraction challenge in Palm Springs and a finale in majestic Catalina Island where the $50,000 grand prize is awarded.

The eighth season, called THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: BATTLE FOR THE SOUTH, premiered on Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network. In Season 8, seven teams of food truck novices battle from New Orleans to Savannah for a $50,000 grand prize. Hosted by Tyler Florence, this high-stakes road trip is full of beautiful scenery, Southern landmarks and intense food challenges. Team cooking chops, selling strategy and business savvy are tested in every city, with the least successful truck heading home each week and a $50,000 grand prize for the last truck standing. This season's competitors are: Braised in the South - Charleston, South Carolina (Nick Hunter, Steven Klatt, Brandon Lapp); The Breakfast Club - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Ashanti Dixon, Taylor Randolph, Mikey Robins); Mr. Po' Boys - Dallas, Texas (Cedrick McCoy, Ryan Thompson, Esther Torres); Papi Chulo's Empanadas - Cherry Hill, New Jersey (Sarah Hasbun, Carleena Lara-Bregatta, Luis Lara Polanco); The Southern Frenchie - Little Rock, Arkansas (Donnie Ferneau, Meaghan Ferneau, Amanda Ivy); Stick 'Em Up - Rogersville, Tennessee (Justin House, Landon House, Shona House) and Wicked Good Seafood - Falmouth, Massachusetts (Bill Henrique, Ryan Schuhmacher, Dan Torres). In the season opener, "The Big 'Not So Easy'," the teams are greeted in the French Quarter of New Orleans by host Tyler Florence and their dream food trucks. The race kicks off immediately with the first challenge called "Dough for Dough," where they must create their own version of a beignet and sell it in the French Market. The teams find out running a food truck is harder than they thought, and the second New Orleans challenge is to create a dish using the flavors of the popular Hurricane drink. Local chef Susan Spicer determines who created the best plate, then one team is eliminated and the rest move closer to the finish line and $50,000 grand prize. The route then hits Pensacola, Florida; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Nashville, Tennessee and Athens, Georgia, leading to the finale location in Savannah, Georgia, where one team will be awarded the $50,000 grand prize.

Season 9 of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE premiered on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, taking a culinary road battle through the Wild West this summer, with seven teams of food truck hopefuls competing to win a $50,000 grand prize. Hosted by Tyler Florence, the trip hits hot spots in the Southwest to test the competitors' cooking chops, selling skills and business savvy. Each week, the teams hit a new city for fierce food challenges, and the least successful truck heads home. This season's competitors are: Buns N' Thighs - Chicago, Illinois (Marla Nones, Victoria Elena Nones, Ian M. Sherwin); Chops' Shop - Pearland, Texas (Sonia Buckelew, Bryan Soliz, Sandra Soliz); Heroes on a Half Shell - Frederick, Maryland (Clinton Sheron, Danni Sheron, Donna Sheron); Just Wing It - New York, New York (Steven Crowley, Kevin Pettice, Sharon Shvarzman); Mobile Moo Shu - Detroit, Michigan (Michelle Gautier, Chelsea Smith, Marley Vanderbrook); New England Grill - Newport, Rhode Island (Kevin Des Chenes, Christine Hurley, Ed Gallagher) and Sassy Soul - Silver Spring, Maryland and Washington D.C. (Lauren Carson, Paris Henry, Parris Jewel). In the season opener, "Wagons Ho!," Tyler kicks off the race at a cattle ranch outside of Los Angeles, where he welcomes the seven teams with their first challenge. The ranch's cowhands need something to wash down their breakfast, so each team must hand-squeeze a pitcher of orange juice in order to receive their seed money and keys to their truck. The trucks then head out to shop and prep for their first day selling on the busy streets of Los Angeles, but Tyler calls with another challenge: a beef auction where each team has to create an original dish with the cut they win. The team that sells the least is sent home, while the other six head to the next city.

THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE returned for its tenth season on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network. The new season kicks off in Myrtle Beach and then hits Hilton Head, Daytona Beach, Tampa, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, culminating in a Key West finale on Sunday, July 28. Season 10 celebrates summer with a Tyler Florence-hosted culinary beach battle along the Atlantic coast, with nine teams of aspiring food truck owners with unique concepts competing for a $50,000 grand prize. Each week, the caravan of competitors hits a different seaside town for high-stakes food challenges that test their cooking chops, business skills and selling strategies and the least successful truck is sent home - until the one team left standing. This season's competing teams are: Baby Got Mac (Los Angeles); Brunch Babes (Grand Rapids, Michigan); Frank N Slides (Boise, Idaho); Madea Made (Virginia Beach, Virginia); Make It Maple (Montpelier, Vermont); NOLA Creations (Atlanta); People's Fry (Nashville); Rolling Indulgence (Dayton, Ohio) and Sol Food Collective (Los Angeles). In the season opener, "Rumble on the Boardwalk," Tyler greets the nine teams and their trucks in Myrtle Beach for an action-packed kickoff to the race with boardwalk bites and signature crab dish challenges. After the least successful team is eliminated, the trucks head to their next stop in Hilton Head for golf and boiled peanut-themed battles. The culinary race then hits Daytona Beach, Tampa, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale and Miami in sunny Florida, culminating in a finale in Key West where one team is awarded the $50,000 grand prize.

On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT, Food Network premiered the eleventh season of this series, titled THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK: HOLIDAY EDITION. Hosted by Tyler Florence, the four-episode season features five aspiring food truck teams who hit wintry New England locations in New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island for high-stakes food challenges that test their cooking chops, business skills and selling strategies. The five teams kick off the season in snowy Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where Tyler challenges the contestants with naughty and nice holiday ingredients. The teams compete for sales, while battling the elements in a winter wonderland and trying to avoid elimination. The last truck standing wins a holiday prize of $50,000, while the rest of the teams go home with coal in their stockings. Teams include: Big Stuff (Brad Brutlag, Eddy Cumming & Mike O'Neill); Creole Queens (Raven and Tryshell Robertson and Ariana Mitchell); Lia's LUMPIA (Spencer Hunter, Benelia Santos-Hunter, and Tania Garcia); Magical Mystery Heroes (Matt Williams, Chris Schulz, and Hannah Schulz); and Slap Shot (Annika Johnson, her sister Michaela and their mom Sheila).

Returning for its twelfth season on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, the series -- titled THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: GOLD COAST for the new season -- features seven teams of aspiring food truck owners, who go head-to-head with larger-than-life backdrops and big-money opportunities. Hosted by Tyler Florence, each episode features the teams rolling up to a new city as they race to face new challenges, cook incredible dishes and, as always, try to outsell the competition over six episodes, with the winning team taking home the $50,000 prize. Season 12 kicks off in Los Angeles, with stops in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and Las Vegas. The race begins in the food truck capital of the world, Los Angeles! Tyler greets the seven teams by challenging them to cook and sell luxury versions of traditional food truck fare. From private plane hors d'oeuvres to champagne infused dishes, the teams have to bring their skills to the next level to move on to the next city. In another episode the trucks visit Las Vegas, as the teams get creative on the casino floor when they must spin the "protein roulette" wheel, while later putting their service skills to the test for an in-suite dining challenge on the strip. And in the finale, the final two food trucks meet again in the City of Angels, as Tyler brings both teams to a winery where they are forced to pull out all the stops, knowing that one team must close its doors forever while the other team walks away with the grand prize. This season's competing teams are: Team Bachelor Kitchen (Austin, Texas), with Stephan, his brother John & best friend Billy; Team Crystal's Comfort Food (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), with Crystal, her husband Steve & her sister Aleeyah; Team Eat My Crust (Phoenix, Arizona), with Preslie, Zach & his father Tyson; Team Fat Kid (Virginia Beach, Virginia), with Alex, Jason & Dooley; Team Lunch Ladies (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts), with siblings Eli and Nisa & fellow lunch lady Jenny; Team Mystikka Masala (Dallas, Texas), with Andrew, Sarah & drag queen Navin; Team Super Sope (Turlock, California), with Carina, her cousin Priscilla & her sister-in-law Lindsey.

THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: ALASKA, the series' 13th season, premiered on Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT on Food Network. Hosted by Tyler Florence and shot on-location in Alaska, the six-episode season begins with seven teams of aspiring food truck owners greeted with their own truck -- but first, they must break the keys out of 200-pound blocks of ice. These teams are not just battling each other, they are battling the elements of this beautiful but treacherous region to avoid elimination and reach the end of the road's $50,000 grand prize. Each week, the caravan of competitors hits a different location for high-stakes challenges that test their cooking chops, business skills and ability to face harsh weather conditions from blizzards to icy mountain roads. This season's competitors are: BFD - Saint James, New York (Kate Wurtzel, Harry Poole, April Nothdurft); Meatball Mamas - Danville, California (Aly Romero, Flora Londre, Jocelyn Denson); Metro Chili - Staten Island, New York (Anthony Cucurullo, John Sullivan, David Consiglio); Querencia Mia - Albuquerque, New Mexico (Marie Yniguez, Queneesha Meyers, Michael Neu); Some Like It Tot - Tecumseh, Oklahoma (Nela Edwards, Drew Cowen, Kali Honey Cowen); Tasty Balls - Houston, Texas (Misti Buard, D'Ambria Jacobs, Nadia Ahmed) and The Oink Mobile - Georgetown, Texas (Heather Clauser, Tyler Clauser, Emily Clauser).

Hosted by Tyler Florence, Season 14 of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE premiered on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network. Titled THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: ALL-STARS, the six-episode new season was shot on-location in San Francisco and the Bay Area, featuring seven winning alumni teams from previous season. Kicking off at Fisherman's Wharf with a bread bowl battle, the route then hits Napa Valley's famed wineries for a grape-stomping challenge, the Redwoods for a foraging adventure, Ocean Beach for a seaside bites competition and a hoop shooting contest at the home arena of the Golden State Warriors, ultimately ending in Chinatown where only one team is awarded $50,000 and named all-time champion of The Great Food Truck Race. The all-star trucks competing are: Aloha Plate - Lanai City, Hawaii (Lanai Tabura, Adam Tabura, Shawn Felipe); The Lime Truck - Irvine, California (Daniel Shemtob, Jesse Brockman, Mark Esposito); The Middle Feast - Los Angeles, California (Tommy Marudi, Daniella Marudi, Gabriel Villagrana); Mystikka Masala - Santa Monica, California (Andrew Pettke, Navin Hariprasad, Doug Long); NOLA Creations - Shreveport, Louisiana (Darrell Johnson, Aunna Johnson, Terrell Gaskin); Seoul Sausage - Los Angeles, California (Ted Kim, Yong Kim, Han Hwang) and Waffle Love - Provo, Utah (Adam Terry, Jared Terry, Steve Terry).

On Sunday, July 11, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT, Food Network premiered "All-Star Finale," the season finale of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: ALL-STARS. The last two all-star food truck teams -- The Lime Truck and Seoul Sausage -- face off in a challenge with special ingredients from Chinatown. In the final taste challenge, the teams create a dish that represents their heart and soul as a food truck, stirring up deep emotions and pride. The teams compete for every last sale as the clock runs down, and in a thrilling elimination by the bay, host Tyler Florence crowns the winner of the all-star season!

THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE returned for its fifteenth season on Sunday, June 5, 2022 from 9-10:30pm ET/PT on Food Network. In the eight-episode season hosted by Tyler Florence, nine teams of aspiring food truck owners with specialties ranging from fresh pasta to plant-based Cuban dishes must prove their cooking chops, marketing savvy and selling skills in high-stakes challenges to beat their rivals and stay in the race. Kicking off in Laguna Beach with a spicy hot pepper challenge, the route then hits beach locations for intense cooking rounds and selling challenges, from Venice for a visit from Chef Antonia Lofaso and a hemp-inspired menu challenge to a selling competition at The Grand Prix of Long Beach. Other stops include Los Angeles where the teams compete against two-time Race winners The Lime Truck, Redondo Beach for a lunch-on-the-go challenge judged by Race alumni Seoul Sausage, serving beach volleyball players in Manhattan Beach and a visit to the Glamis Dunes, culminating in a head-to-head finale in San Diego where only one team is awarded the life-changing $50,000 grand prize. The teams competing are: Amawele's - San Francisco, California (Pamela Drew, Wendy Drew, Emma Januarie); Eso Artisanal Pasta - Morristown, New Jersey (AJ Sankofa, Kristina Gambarian, Matt McFadden); Food Flight - Atlanta, Georgia (Kate Schulz, Betsy Wallace, Grant Stevens); Girl's Got Balls - Fox River Grove, Illinois (Shauna Fetterman, Lizzy Scudder, Carrie Jones); Maybe Cheese Born With It - Toledo, Ohio (David Gedert, Mahogany Reign, Keith Logue); Salsa Queen - Salt Lake City, Utah (Salsa Queen Zapata, Jim Birch, Missy Workman); Saute Kingz - Daytona Beach, Florida (Count Foreman, Jessica Foreman, Jesshuan Foreman); Senoreata - Los Angeles, California (Evanice Holz, Adri Law, Chelly Saludado) and Southern Pride Asian Fusion - Colorado Springs, Colorado (DJ Williams, Houston Greenlee, Gio Palacio). In the season premiere, the competitors meet Tyler and see their food trucks for the very first time in Laguna Beach. Things get spicy very quickly in the first challenge as Tyler reveals a table stocked with colorful hot peppers - and the teams must create their hottest dish to impress Tyler. In the selling round, rivalries and alliances are quickly born as the teams battle to get customers and one truck is sent home. Upcoming episodes visit Los Angeles where the trucks must sell against two-time Race winners The Lime Truck, a high-energy Venice Beach challenge inspired and judged by Chef Antonia Lofaso and on-the-go lunch delivery in Redondo Beach with Race alumni Seoul Sausage. In the finale on Sunday, July 24th at 9pm ET/PT, the two remaining teams go head-to-head in San Diego and the last truck standing is awarded the $50,000 grand prize.

Season 16 of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE debuted on Sunday, June 18, 2023 from 8-10pm ET/PT on Food Network. For the first time in the show's history, industry pros take on talented up-and-coming rookies in a David vs. Goliath battle of the best food on wheels. Hosted by Tyler Florence, nine teams from across the country with specialties ranging from Jamaican tacos to modern Pakistani street food to elevated vegan dishes must prove their culinary expertise, marketing savvy and selling skills in action-packed challenges to beat their rivals and stay in the race. Los Angeles has long led the food truck movement, and this season's action takes place right in the center of the industry's booming business. Kicking off with all nine teams showcasing a dish that defines their business, the race then hits the baseball field to serve Little League players and their families with a visit from LA Dodgers player Mookie Betts. Other challenges include using Chef Antonia Lofaso's well-known restaurant dishes as inspiration for their own menus, creating social media content to draw crowds and cooking for guest judges Chef Jet Tila, Chef Joe Sasto and last season's winner, Senoreata's Evanice Holz. All the action culminates in a head-to-head finale where only one team is awarded a life-changing $50,000 grand prize. The pro teams competing are: Da Bald Guy - Honolulu, Hawaii (James Martin, Missy Rabaino, Ali'i Pukahi); Lisa's Creperie - Atlanta, Georgia (Lisa Thiffault, Ally Marlow, Miranda Moore); D'Pura Cepa - Miami, Florida (Jose Carnot, Janshanic Santos, Louis Del Rio Rubio) and Paisani - Boston, Massachusetts (Ryan Palmer, Matthew Minichiello, Tommy Southwick). Food truck first-timers are: 2 Girls Jamaican Tacos - Brooklyn, New York (Shelly Flash, Bri Labossiere, Elijah McPhie); 4 Hens Creole Kitchen - St. Louis, Missouri (Brandi Artis, Brittany Artis, Zendrix Berndt-White); Khana - Detroit, Michigan (Maryam Khan, Al Jane, Jake Nielsen); The Block - Indianapolis, Indiana (Terry Anthony, Carl Harris, Crystal Kilgore) and The Easy Vegan - Denver, Colorado (Taylor Herbert, Alexi Mandolini, Matt Heikkila).

THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: GAMES ON THE GULF, the 17th season of the series, debuted on Sunday, June 30, 2024 from 8-10pm ET/PT on Food Network. Host Tyler Florence kicks off the season welcoming nine teams to NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston for the start of the race, as a fresh roster of aspiring food truck operators battle for the $50,000 grand prize. Each team must prove their culinary expertise, marketing savvy and selling skills in themed challenges to beat their rivals and stay in the race. In a new twist this season, the teams are divided into "Stars and Stripes" squads and the top sellers each week are awarded gold, silver and bronze medals that come with a cash bonus. The season culminates in a finale from the renowned South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami on Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT. Teams competing are: Argentina's Empanadas - Wichita, Kansas (Carolina Freeman, Paola Mentis, Chad Freeman); Bao Bei - Washington DC (Kevin Hsieh, Cody Hoover, Zakary Keres); Cooks with Passion - Atlanta, Georgia (Andrew Bernadine, Terry Jones, Jasmine Smith); Down to Get Tacos - Gilbert, Arizona (Karina Wollangk, Kiana Wollangk, Oz Gudino); Fishnet - Baltimore, Maryland (Ferhat Yalcin, Uswa McDowell, Keyia Yalcin); Kalye - New York, New York (Rob Mallari-D'Auria, Barry Jacinto, Mark Besanna); Plates on Deck - Davenport, Florida (Ken James, Ziomara Taveras, Samuel Jenkins); SOLA Po'Boys - Los Angeles, California (Serrano Barnes, Barenese Butler, Randy Butler) and Wally's Waffles - Chicago, Illinois (Wally Strzepka, Maggie Strzepka, Joe Caiafa). In the two-hour season opener, "Let the Games Begin," Tyler welcomes nine food trucks to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston where their epic nine-city road trip for $50,000 across America's Gulf Coast begins. These first-time food truck teams face daunting challenges in the hopes of reaping unprecedented rewards, including award medals that have carryover value in the next city. Tyler groups the teams into squads who must scrap for sales in an all-out selling frenzy, and the bottom two teams must face a shocker of an elimination. The race then hits Galveston, Texas where baseball all-star Justin Turner judges a Ballpark Bites challenge. Later episodes included an all-out food brawl with All Elite Wrestling tag teams The Acclaimed and The Gunns in Pascagoula, Mississippi and a challenge to serve the crowds at Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama. In the season finale, the last two trucks standing head to the famed South Beach Food and Wine Festival in Miami where discerning Grand Tasting guests; Food Network stars Maneet Chauhan, Jeff Mauro and Aarti Sequeira; and food influencers Owen Han and Toni Chapman help decide which truck wins the life-changing $50,000 grand prize.
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On Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT, Food Network premiered "South Beach Showdown," the season finale of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: GAMES ON THE GULF (Season 17). Two food truck finalists -- Bao Bei and Wally's Waffles -- join Tyler Florence for the final leg in Fort Meyers, Florida, where they feed their fans on a day of intense selling and challenges. Then at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami, the teams' ultimate fate will be determined, and the winner will claim $50,000 and the title of Great Food Truck Race champion.