A possible moonshine cave has been discovered under the grandstands of a legendary NASCAR track in North Carolina.
The discovery was made during a routine cleaning and inspection at North Wilkesboro Speedway last week, track officials shared Tuesday. Operations staff members noticed cracks in the original concrete in Section N, revealing an approximately 700-square-foot open area underneath.
“We’d often hear stories of how an old moonshine still was operated here on the property under the grandstands,” said Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations and development at Speedway Motorsports.
“We haven’t found a still [yet], but we’ve found a small cave and an interior wall that would have been the perfect location to not only make illegal liquor, but to hide from the law as well,” Swift added.
With around 600 seats having been removed from the grandstands, the next step for the Speedway Motorsports staff is foundation repair and concrete replacement ahead of NASCAR All-Star Race Week in May.
The North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina.Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images file
North Wilkesboro Speedway became one of the original NASCAR racetracks after it hosted the inaugural Strictly Stock Series. The speedway closed in 1996 but returned to host NASCAR last year following an extensive restoration.
Moonshine is no stranger to NASCAR and North Carolina. Many early stars got their start carrying illegal moonshine on the rough mountain roads of Appalachia. Racing legend Junior Johnson was the best-known bootlegger in Wilkes County.
