Yahoo Finance Rumored 'Moonshine Cave' Found Underneath Stands at Legendary NASCAR Track in North Carolina
The discovery of the 700-square-foot cave may prove the long-held rumors about the North Wilkesboro Speedway are true
David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Workers at a North Carolina raceway may have uncovered a Prohibition era cave used to make moonshine
North Wilkesboro Speedway said in a statement that the discovery of a 700-square-foot cave could put to rest rumors that the venue once made moonshine
After removing 600 seats, speedway officials are now working on "next steps" to cover the area for fans, just in time for the NASCAR All-Star Race Week beginning May 14
Workers at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina may have uncovered a Prohibition era "moonshine cave" beneath the grandstands thanks to a sinkhole.
During a cleaning and inspection last week, speedway officials at the NASCAR raceway said they found the 700-square-foot cave while removing seats in Section N — which could prove the long-held rumors about the venue are actually true.
“When we began renovating and restoring North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2022, we’d often hear stories of how an old moonshine still was operated here on the property under the grandstands,” Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations and development at Speedway Motorsports, said in a statement.
He continued, “Well, 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. We don’t know how people would have gotten in and out, but as we uncover more, there’s no telling what we might find.”
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As crews work to repair the area in advance of hosting the NASCAR All-Star Race Week beginning May 14, they have removed 600 seats and are “evaluating next steps for foundation repair and concrete replacement,” officials said.
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“Now we have a race before the race,” Swift said. “The area that’s been affected by the sinkhole is a frontstretch grandstand area with some of the best views of the track. We’ll have a lot of work to get done before NASCAR All-Star Race Week.”
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According to NBC affiliate WXII-TV, an underground moonshine industry flourished in Wilkes County in the 1930s and 1940s — until many moonshine runners shifted gears and became racecar drivers.
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