Long before NASCAR became a massive professional sport, its roots were found on the backroads of the American South. During the Prohibition era and the decades that followed, moonshine runners built fast cars and honed daring driving skills to outrun federal agents. What began as a dangerous game of cat and mouse eventually evolved into organized racing—and the birth of NASCAR.
Author Neal Thompson shares the story of the bootleggers, mechanics, and fearless drivers whose high-speed runs through the hills helped create one of America’s most popular motorsports. Thompson is the author of Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR.