NASCAR All-Star Race
This past weekend, the NASCAR All-Star Races were held at the North Wilkesboro Speedway (NWS). The racetrack reopened in August 2022 after a 25-year hiatus (broken only by a one-and-done race in 2010). After a grand reopening race in 2023, the speedway tradition continues. NWS, a paved oval short track (0.625 miles), held its inaugural racing season in 1947. The track roots hail from moonshine runners. During the Prohibition Era, North Wilkesboro was the unofficial “Moonshine Capital of the World.” Local good old boy Junior Johnson, was profiled in Esquire for his role in the bootleg trade, which evolved from driving his daddy’s “shine” to eager customers. Junior was a pro at evading the Alcohol Tax agents from “boro to boro” and “ville to ville” on the switchback mountain roads, roaring over ridges, and chasing through clay cuts. This daring reprobate starred in a decade of stock-car racing from 1955 to 1966 with a record of 50 victories, 11 at major speedways. He was the “...