Marc Summers, an Indianapolis native returns home to host a Cake Race Food Network Challenge at the Indianapolis 500. Get in the audience and maybe catch a glimpse of yourself on television when the challenge is aired in October on the Food Network.

Summers covers the sweeter things in life as host of Food Network’s “Unwrapped and “Trivia Unwrapped.” Viewers can also see him on the reality series, “The Next Food Network Star.”

“It’s going to be so cool to go back,” Summers said. “I haven’t been to the actual race for so long.”

The challenges do extremely well and audiences like them at live events such as the 500, Summers said. Challenges are not his usual job, but when he found out the network would do one at the 500-mile race, he wanted the job.

“I did a show called the national team pastry competition in Wisconsin and was the most mind blowing experience of my life,” Summers said.

Visitors to the challenge stage will get to see area chefs face-off in a cake competition, he said.

“I’ll be doing the play-by-play,” Summers added.

Three judges will ultimately decide the winner.

The challenges will take place adjacent to the Hall of Fame Museum inside the track’s main gate, Gate 2. Jim McMillan of the Conrad Indianapolis Hotel, Linda Shonk of the Sweet Art Galleries and Dan Marinkovich of the Meridian Hills Country Club will face off in a themed cake challenge. The challenges are a traveling event of the Food Network.

A large Jumbo video screen will help bring what is happening up close to the guests at the event.

The Food Network has also set up a challenge bar and will stage professional and amateur bartender’s showing off their skills like Tom Cruise in “Cocktail.” Audience members will get the chance to try their hand at it too.

Another feature of the challenge will be an interactive kiosk where the public be able to interact with Foodnetwork.com and shoot a short video and post it or e-mail it to family and friends.