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Joey Chestnut conquers New York pizza, too

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"Humble" Bob Shoudt, Joey Chestnut and Patrick Bertoletti compete in Sunday's Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship at Times Square.

Joey “Jaws” Chestnut grabbed another slice of competitive-eating glory Sunday.

In his first ever pizza-eating competition, Chestnut, the Nathan’s Famous hot dog champ the past two years, set another world record by devouring 45 slices in 10 minutes at the inaugural Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship, held at TImes Square in honor of Columbus Day.

Chestnut, 24, of San Jose, Calif., edged Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, who downed 43 cheese slices. Bertoletti, the Mohawked 22-year-old from Chicago, held the previous pizza-eating record of 22.

Forty-year-old “Humble” Bob Shoudt, of Royersford, Pa., even gave chase, eating 41, but he faded in the final minutes.

Chestnut earned a $5,000 payday and the "pizza palette trophy."

The contestants were able to obliterate the previous record, they said, because the pizza was “fast” compared to pies at previous contests.

Sure, everyone’s heard of fast tracks in racing, but fast pizza?

“If it’s warm, and if the crust isn’t too dry,” Bertoletti explained of the factors that make a pizza go down quicker.

In fact, the speed of the pizzas, which can vary from pie to pie, was on Chestnut’s mind down the stretch, when Bertoletti trailed him by one slice.

“If he got a fast pizza on that last pizza, I was little bit worried,” said Chestnut, who also holds the records for eating fried asparagus, jalapeno poppers and, of course, hot dogs.

As for a strategy, Chestnut seemed to steal a page from his own book, rolling up the pizzas in his fists and shoving them down his throat much in the same way he famously inhales hot dogs at Coney Island.

“Any time I can pretend the food is a hot dog, it makes it easier,” Chestnut said. “I can get in that same rhythm that I get in on the Fourth of July.”

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Comments (1)

This was a GREAT contest!! The eaters were all at 100%. Well done; they are all winners!!!!!

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