Joey Chestnut takes hot dog eating crown

NEW YORK, July 4 (UPI) -- California native Joey Chestnut won the annual hot dog eating contest at New York's Nathan's Famous Wednesday, setting an event record with 66 hot dogs.

The San Jose Mercury News said that with six-time Nathan's defending champion Takeru Kobayashi nursing a sore jaw, Chestnut ate 66 entire hot dogs at the Fourth of July contest to win the competitive eating crown.

Not only was the San Jose native able to best the contest's previous high of 59 1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes he set last month, but his holiday total of 66 also represented a personal high.

Nearly 30,000 people attended the Coney Island event to cheer on competitors.

After his win, Chestnut said he was happy he was able to finally take the title away from his Japanese rival and bring it back to the United States.

"It's been held by Kobayashi six years," Chestnut said. "And it comes back to the U.S. on the Fourth of July."