On February 6 at 9 p.m., the National Geographic Channel will air Moonshine, a one-hour documentary about the history of moonshine and how the outlawed liquor led to one of the most popular sports franchises of all time, NASCAR.
The special will feature the last interview ever conducted with racing legend and NASCAR announcer Benny Parsons, who passed away last month. Also featured in the documentary is Junior Johnson, who almost faced jail time for transporting moonshine when he was younger.
When prohibition struck in the '20s, skilled drivers were recruited to transport moonshine, a corn-based concoction introduced to the South by Scots-Irish immigrants. What was once a way to evade the law soon evolved into the sport of stock car racing, and later into the phenomenon known as NASCAR. Let that be a lesson to anyone currently breaking the law: your unlawful exploits just might be the next big thing in sports.
You can watch a preview clip of Moonshine here.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-04-2007 @ 10:07PM
imdennycrane said...
I never knew that about Nascar! Can't wait to tell my grandmother - yes, she is way into the races. And probably was into moonshine too.
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2-05-2007 @ 2:40AM
Hill said...
Junior Johnson DID do time but was later pardoned.
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2-05-2007 @ 10:40AM
theburn16 said...
benny parsons died last month, not last year
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