By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Do you cut the mustard? That's the question Oscar Mayer asks its potential Weinermobile drivers, or Hotdoggers, as they apply for a one-year contract. Tuesday morning, one of the 27-foot-long Weinermobiles arrived at Dillons on 10th Street in Great Bend. Hotdogger Garrison Kearse, a native of Pennsylvania, shared some history with shoppers.
"We've been going since 1936," he said. "We just go around the country at parades, festivals, fairs, and grocery stores, and we just have a lot of fun. We have the little Weenie Whistles we always give out and some coupons for people."
The Weinermobile traveled to Great Bend from Topeka Tuesday morning for four hours at Dillons to allow fans and customers to take photos. The vehicle will remain in Great Bend at the Main Street Dillons from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday before departing for Cincinnati. This Weinermobile hails from Wisconsin, and Kearse said few things can slow it down.
"We haven't hit our snow yet but she drives like a dream," he said. "She's a tank - 14,000 pounds. There's not much that moves that much weight that's shaped like a hot dog. Any weather condition, we're trudging through."
Two Hotdoggers take turns driving the Weinermobiles across the country. The vehicles also feature several luxury seats for dignitaries, executives, or lucky fans who get the opportunity to ride. The vehicle that stopped in Great Bend has been in service since 2015, and the Chevy V-8 Vortec engine has logged more than 196,000 miles. No special license is required to drive the vehicle, though Kearse joked he does have an HDL (hot dog license). The vehicles give Hotdoggers the chance to "meat" and greet fans as they share the company's history.
"People follow us and travel for miles to see us," Kearse said. "We've had people travel over two hours to see the vehicle. We've also had people just follow us for maybe over 100 miles to see when we're going to stop and get some gas. People love the vehicle and we love the people."
The first Oscar Mayer meat shop was opened in 1883, bringing in $59 on the first day. That translates to approximately $1,600 today. The famous yellow stripe was added to packaging in 1929 as a halo of high-quality meat. The famous Oscar Mayer Weiner jingle, released in 1963, became so popular it was often requested for radio play.