Things are bet up . You managed to extract 100 gallon ( 378.54 liters ) of hooch from your illegal backwoods still , pour the 150 - proof whitened lightning into jarful and debase them into the bole of your railroad car — all without being discovered by the jurisprudence . Your unlawful cache is tucked under blankets , just for good measure , and brood with an mixture of old coats . Now all you have to do is deliver it .
Unfortunately , that may be the most dangerous labor of all . By making and delivering alcoholic drink , you ’re proceed a some 20 - twelvemonth - old illegal custom brought on byProhibition . The 18th Amendment formally outlawed smell , but it did n’t dampen the desire of " spirited " entrepreneur to fill the vacuum . In fact , even the confirmation of the 21st Amendment , which formally ended the Prohibition era , did piddling to moderate illegal bootlegging .
So , while your black1940 Ford Coupe may face stock(the same as any other purchased from a franchise ) , it ’s backed by a souped - up engine so powerful it could give any revenuer a run for the money . And so could you , now that you ’ve pass years honing your skills on some of America ’s most ambitious roadway .
As you rush through the Appalachian foothills under the cover of nightfall , voyage switchback move around and avoiding wildlife that ’s wandered onto the tree - lined roads , you ca n’t help but smile . alternatively of a blood line V-8 under the hood , your auto has the most knock-down V-8 uncommitted at the time — an ambulance engine . Even at breakneck speeds , the car ’s squiffy suspension keep your load of inflammable liquid stable . And you know these roads like the back of your hand , so much so that you could move around off the railcar ’s headlamp and still get to your destination [ origin : AutoFoundry ] .
In fact , you ’ve even raced some of your fellow bootleggers on these treacherous paths , vying to see who can drive aside with line-shooting rights . You all partake the same competitive drive , one that ’s fire by the souped - up vehicles that could show off your abilities . From races on public highway to soil track carve into pastures , stock car racing begin to take form . Born ofmoonshinerunners , it would finally rise into one of today ’s most democratic racing circuit : NASCAR .
In 1947 , one of the emerging racing fun ’s most influential drivers , Big Bill France , spearheaded a meeting with fellow driver , mechanics and owners to standardize some racing rule . Out of this meeting , the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR ) was formed . A mere two month later on , on Feb. 15 , 1948 , NASCAR held its first prescribed race on the Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin of a Daytona , Florida , beach . Most — perhaps all — of the number one wood were necessitate in the moonlight deal . One of them , Red Byron , won the initiative slipstream . The next workweek , NASCAR became incorporated , and France was named NASCAR ’s first loss leader , a mail he would eventually turn over down to his son [ reference : Levinson ] .
Now , with million of devotee ( in 2016 , the Daytona 500 had an ordinary TV viewership of 11.4 million viewers ) , NASCAR is an integral part of American motorsports — moonshine not need [ source : Statista ] .
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A duet of weeks ago , I spend a thrilling day at Road America , a shut - circuit racecourse that ’s been in operation since the 1950s . I drove the Champagne Slalom course as tight as I could , sharp bit , switchbacks and all . It was incredible . Made me marvel why I ’d never considered " racecar number one wood " as a life history option . earnestly . I ’m already searching for another high - performance get chance on a famed racecourse . And the next time I get the chance to drive a flying lead , I ’ll be think of NASCAR ’s former bootleg drivers , too .
