Back to His Roots

NASCAR was born out of the moonshining business in North Carolina. The boys that outran the cops through the hills and hollers started comparing their cars and driving skills to one another and a huge motorsports dynasty was born. Many of the sports earliest stars were former moonshine runners, and one former driver and owner, Junior Johnson, even did some jail time and was later pardoned by Ronald Reagan.

It looks like the moonshining bug is still present in the NASCAR community:

Former NASCAR driver charged with making moonshine: Charges were filed late this morning in connection with a large liquor still found near the North Wilkesboro Speedway on Speedway Road and blown up by authorities Thursday night. Carl Dean Combs 57, of Speedway Road, North Wilkesboro [NC], was charged with manufacturing non-tax paid liquor, as well as one count each of possessing, possessing ingredients to manufacture and possessing equipment to manufacture non-tax paid liquor, said N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Agent Shon Tally. Tally said Combs was at his nearby residence when he and other ALE agents found the still in the back of a gray shop building behind a go-cart track, near the North Wilkesboro Speedway (Wilkes Journal Patriot). Combs made 24 Sprint Cup [then WInston Cup] starts from 1981-1984 with a best finish of 8th at Atlanta in Nov 1983. He also was a five-time champion in NASCAR's now-defunct Goody's Dash Series and was a crew chief for car owner Junior Johnson.(3-4-2009)

Taxes were never popular with that crowd.