Does NASCAR have roots in bootlegging moonshine?

Many future NASCAR drivers cut their teeth bootlegging illegal moonshine in the 1940s, such as NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson, who won his learner's permit by running corn mash hooch before his NASCAR debut in 1955.

Did NASCAR really start with bootleggers?

During the 1930s, moonshiners began to race their whiskey cars at local fairgrounds and racetracks, where they discovered that people—sometimes tens of thousands of them—were willing to pay to watch them showcase their driving skills. It wasn't just the drivers who had moonshine in their blood.

Why is NASCAR connected to moonshine?

The answer is simple: In the first decade or so of NASCAR racing, the transportation of illegal liquor in the South was huge business, and a lot of the sport's early stars drove, owned or built moonshine cars. Johnson was the best-known bootlegger in Wilkes County, North Carolina, a hotbed of the moonshine industry.

What are the roots of NASCAR?

Stock car racing in the United States has its origins in bootlegging during Prohibition, when drivers ran bootleg whiskey made primarily in the Appalachian region of the United States. Bootleggers needed to distribute their illicit products, and they typically used small, fast vehicles to better evade the police.

Which NASCAR drivers ran moonshine?

Junior Johnson is a genuine folk hero, once dubbed “The Last American Hero” in an Esquire article. He honed his driving skills as a moonshine runner and in 1956 was arrested by federal agents at his father's moonshine still and served 11 months in federal prison.

Moonshine, Bootleggers, and the roots of NASCAR

How fast did moonshine cars go?

Most moonshine cars added special heavy back springs and shocks to hold the vehicle level when loaded. A 1940 Ford Coupe was a runner's vehicle of choice before the 1950s. The coupe sported a Flat-head V-8 engine, large trunk space and could be souped up to run upwards of 180 mph.

What is bootlegging in NASCAR?

The idea was fairly simple – take a car that looked ordinary on the outside, modify the engine for greater speed, remove the floor boards, passenger and back seats to store as many cases of liquor as possible, install extra suspension springs to handle the weight, a dirt-protecting plate in front of the radiator and ...

What were moonshine runners called?

Once the liquor was distilled, drivers called "runners" or "bootleggers" smuggled moonshine and "bootleg" (illegally imported) liquor across the region in cars specially modified for speed and load-carrying capacity.

Why is North Carolina the home of NASCAR?

The origins of stock car racing are in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. During Prohibition, drivers modified their vehicles to be lighter and faster, and to handle better at high speeds on twisty mountain roads.

Do they still run moonshine?

Moonshine production today comes in many forms. There are still plenty of backwoods blackpot stills throughout the South, the traditional home of illegal liquor production. But there are also high-tech, larger operations organized like modern businesses.

When did NASCAR stop using stock cars?

The Strictly Stock cars were used until 1966 when NASCAR ordered its first significant competition change to the Grand National Division.

What was NASCAR called before NASCAR?

From 1950-1970 the series was known as the Grand National Series before becoming the NASCAR Winston Cup Series from 1971-2003.

Was Junior Johnson a bootlegger?

Junior was arrested and spent one year in prison in Ohio in 1956-57 for having an illegal still, although he was never caught in his many years of transporting bootleg liquor at high speed. In 1955, Johnson began his career as a NASCAR driver.

How did bootlegging get its name?

The term bootlegging seems originally to have been used by white persons in the Midwest in the 1880s to denote the practice of concealing flasks of liquor in their boot tops while trading with Native Americans.

How did moonshine start?

While moonshine is deeply rooted in Southern culture and heritage, its origins, in fact, can be traced to Pennsylvania. Farmer-distillers in the western part of the state protested when the federal government passed the distilled-spirits tax in 1791. They tarred and feathered tax collectors and fired upon their homes.

Who is the most famous moonshiner ever?

The most recognized modern moonshiner, good old hillbilly Popcorn Sutton was born in Maggie Valley, North Carolina in 1949. After assaulting a 10-cent bar popcorn machine with a cue ball, he got the nickname "Popcorn".

What state makes the most moonshine?

The story of North Carolina moonshine is mostly centered around Wilkes County, which was called the moonshine capital of the world by federal revenue officers. What is this? Some might debate that title, but you can't deny that the mountains of North Carolina are steeped in illegal liquor history.

What cars did bootleggers use?

A variety of vehicles, including Dodge Coronets, Oldsmobile Rocket 88s, and Chevy Coupes, were used as moonshine runners. The most popular car of all, though, was the Ford Model A Coupe.

Was moonshine used in cars?

Practically any car could run on high-potency hooch, though the level of performance would vary. The Ford Model A driven in the historical novel Lawless is based on would run pretty smoothly, though it would lose about 30 percent of its horse power.

How long did alcohol prohibition last?

Nationwide Prohibition lasted from 1920 until 1933. The Eighteenth Amendment—which illegalized the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol—was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1917. In 1919 the amendment was ratified by the three-quarters of the nation's states required to make it constitutional.

Why did they ban alcohol in the 20s?

National prohibition of alcohol (1920–33) — the “noble experiment” — was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America.

When did they stop running moonshine?

In 1933 Prohibition had finally come to an end, but this only slightly slowed down the demand for Moonshine. The tax free, cheap price and high alcohol content of moonshine kept it in high demand throughout the Southern U.S. and major cities all over the US.

Who owns Midnight Moon?

Junior Johnson started selling his family's moonshine when he was 14 but now at 81, he's selling it legally!

What proof is moonshine?

On average, a proof moonshine could range somewhere between 100 to 150 proof. When you convert that alcohol by volume, 150 proof is equivalent to 75% alcohol by volume.