NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — The history continues to shine at the speedway through its moonshiners.
For years, rumors were running wild that the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway was the site of a secret moonshine still.
Now, some Wilkes County locals have more of a reason to say, 'I told you so.'
As many racing fans know, as the drivers approach turn one in the first lap, it marks the start of intense competition.
But at the North Wilkesboro speedway, that bend now also marks the history where racing got its start.
"We heard a lot of folklore over the years, and I heard there was a still at the track, but I was not sure where it was," said Call Family Distiller's owner, Brian Call.
Those fans and fast cars would not be here today without moonshiners.
Racing was known to get its start from moonshiners outrunning the law.
Speedway officials said they've stories about how an old moonshine still was operated under the grandstands.
Last week, during a routine inspection, operation crews found cracks in the grandstand concrete.
They removed the seats and found a 700-square-foot small cave with an interior wall, which is the perfect location to make illegal liquor and hide from the law.
While no still was found, as they uncover more, there's no telling what might be found.
Brian Call knows this folklore well.
"I am sure if there was, my dad Willie and Junior Johnson had something to do with it, that's for sure," said Brian Call.
When the government took control of alcohol, the illegal spirits industry took off and the term moonshine was created.
Farmers would turn low-value crops into high-value whiskey under the light of the moon to avoid getting caught.
In this small town of Wilkesboro, capitalizing was what families did.
"Wilkes was called the moonshine capital of the world," said Brian Call.
Brian Call owns Call Family Distillers.
He said two of the most notable people to run around making illegal spirits were lifelong friends Junior Johnson and Willie Clay Call.
Brian Call is Willie Clay Call's son. He said both Johnson and Clay Call grew up running the illegal spirits together.
Those cars that were used to outrun the revenuers are what started racing as a sport.
"Moonshiners, they always wanted to know who had the fastest moonshine car and these guys would get out on a Saturday night and race and a lot of people showed up," said Call.
He says this discovery is history coming full circle.
Call Family Distillers are the official moonshine of the North Wilkesboro Speedway and get to serve their alcohol to race fans.
"It's kind of ironic that if my dad was involved, and Junior you know, they weren't paying tax on it, and here we are serving cocktails, paying tax on our moonshine," he said. "It just gives you cold chills thinking about that and how the family has evolved from the illegal side of it to a legal distillery. Just think dad and them would be proud of what we're doing and trying to keep the heritage alive."
So far, about 600 seats have been removed.
Staff are figuring out the next steps for foundation repair.
It's kicking off a race against time, before the big NASCAR All-Star Race in May.