Moonshine & Motorsports Racing Podcast

Neil Thompson, author of Driving With the Devil, joins us for an incredible deep dive into the untold stories of NASCAR's earliest days. Discover how moonshiners like Raymond Parks, Red Byron, and others laid the foundation for the sport we know today. Neil shares the lengths he went to earn trust, uncover forgotten legends, and capture the gritty origins of stock car racing. From thrilling tales of moonshine runs to the first NASCAR teams, this episode is packed with fascinating history and unforgettable characters. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more great Moonshine & Motorsports content, check out the other episodes and videos here: https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

This episode of Moonshine and Motorsports features Dan Elliott sharing captivating stories about his family’s legacy and the rich history of Dawsonville, Georgia. Dan reflects on growing up in a small town with deep ties to moonshining and motorsports, recounting how his father’s passion for racing influenced the Elliott family’s career. He vividly describes the mischievous adventures of his youth and the strong community spirit that supported their early racing endeavors. Dan also shares personal anecdotes about his father’s determination, the sacrifices involved in racing, and the pride he takes in preserving his family heritage. The episode is a heartfelt tribute to the intertwining of small-town life, family bonds, and the love of racing. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more great Moonshine & Motorsports content, check out the other episodes and videos right here on the Daily Downforce.

In this episode, Rick meets with UNC Asheville professor Daniel Pierce to get an update on the recovery efforts in western North Carolina after the floods. Dr. Pierce shares his own personal story of how his family was affected, as well as the incredible resilience of local residents in the face of devastation.  This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina.

Wendell Scott was a pioneering African American driver in NASCAR, known for breaking racial barriers in the sport. As the first Black driver to win at NASCAR's highest level, he faced significant challenges and discrimination throughout his career. His perseverance and determination made him a symbol of resilience, helping to pave the way for greater diversity and inclusion in NASCAR. In this episode, Rick sits down with Warrick Scott, Wendell's grandson, to hear stories from growing up with one of the pioneers of motorsports. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

This episode, Rick sits down with the legendary John Dodson to hear about his life in a North Carolina NASCAR family, and working and living alongside other state icons of motorsports. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

This week, Rick sits down with the legendary Robert Pressley to hear his stories about growing up around racing - and moonshiners! - in the 1960's. Not only is he a well known name in the sport of NASCAR, but his father was even before him. Hear his incredible stories from the past on this episode of Moonshine and Motorsports. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

Everyone knows the drivers and their intensive training regimens, but have you ever thought about the rest of the pit crew? This episode, Rick sits down with Andy Papathanassiou to learn how the modern pit crew team came to be. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

In this episode of the Moonshine & Motorsports Racing Podcast, host Rick Houston sits down with Bill Blair to talk about some of the undercover and unknown history of racing in the state of North Carolina. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

On the latest stop on the Moonshine & Motorsports trail, Rick visits the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center. Along the way they talk about the background, heritage, and amazing history hiding in those North Carolina Mountains. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

On the latest stop on the Moonshine & Motorsports trail, Rick visits with Marcus Neubacher of the North Carolina Transportation Museum. The museum is responsible for preserving some of the earliest history of cars and vehicles, and if it's North Carolina, you know that means motorsports! This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. For more, visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshineandmotorsports/

In this episode, Rick stops by the Ashe County Museum to chat with historians Andrew Cole and Jerry Brown to find out the origins of the moonshiners going all the way back to their immigrant roots, plus a look at some of the other fabulous exhibits on offer at the museum. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. You can also listen to every episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast on all your favorite podcast apps. Find more here: https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

In this episode, Rick sits down with Katie Sanford, a park ranger at North Carolina's beautiful Dismal Swamp State Park. One of the most recent additions to the Moonshine & Motorsports Trail, Dismal Swamp is not only smack dab in a neighborhood full of racing, it also hides a secret history of moonshiners who utilized the swamp as a haven for running shine decades ago.  This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. You can also listen to every episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast on all your favorite podcast apps. Find more here: https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

In this episode, Rick chats with Todd Johnson of the Johnston County Museum about the secret history of moonshining in Johnston County and what you can discover for yourself at the County Museum. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. You can also listen to every episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast on all your favorite podcast apps. Find more here: https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

In this episode, Rick chats with Gray Garrison about the history - and now future - of racing at Bowman Gray Stadium. One of the most historically significant tracks in North Carolina, Bowman Gray was recently revealed to be coming back to the NASCAR racing schedule in the very near future. Rick talks to Gray about that and of course, what it's like to race at what has affectionately become known as the Mad House. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. You can also listen to every episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast on all your favorite podcast apps. For more, visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. You can also listen to every episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast on all your favorite podcast apps. For more, visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

In this episode, Rick sits down with Scott McClure of the Seven Jars Distillery in Charlotte. McClure tells the absolutely wild story of how the distillery came to be. It's a story that involves everything from buried treasure to drunken pigs to the young Elvis Presley. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. You can also listen to every episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast on all your favorite podcast apps. For more, visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

North Wilkesboro is one of NASCAR's most historic tracks in North Carolina, and in this episode, Rick sits down with Jessica Fickenscher to get the inside story on how the track was restored, along with what exactly went down with the recent discovery of the long lost Moonshine cave. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. You can also listen to every episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast on all your favorite podcast apps.

Troy Selberg is most known to NASCAR fans as a crew chief for legends like Todd Bodine and Morgan Shephard, but he also moonlights as an accredited bourbon steward. What all does that entail, and how does it connect to the history of North Carolina's moonshine trade? Find out in this episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. You can also listen to every episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Racing Podcast on all your favorite podcast apps. For more, visit https://dailydownforce.com/moonshine-motorsports/

This week we welcome Daniel Pierce to the show. He's a UNC Asheville professor who's written a book on the history of moonshiners in professional racing, and he sits down with Rick to clear up some of the fascinating history behind these wheelmen in North Carolina. This is a collaboration between The Scene Vault Podcast and North Carolina's Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports and the state of North Carolina. For more info, visit: https://dailydownforce.com/moonshineandmotorsports/

Welcome to the Moonshine & Motorsports podcast. This is a collaboration between Scene Vault and North Carolina's Department of Cultural and Natural Resources made to spotlight the history of moonshine, motorsports, and the state of North Carolina. In this first episode, Rick visits with Winston Kelley at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. For more info, visit: https://dailydownforce.com/moonshineandmotorsports/