Junior's moonshine to be in NASCAR Hall of Fame

The NASCAR Hall of Fame, soon to open in Charlotte, N.C., made an announcement which shows the sport is not shying away from its roots. Inaugural inductee Junior Johnson revealed that he would be making a unique contribution to the Hall of Fame--a full-size, authentic moonshine still. The still, built by Johnson, is identical to the ones he and his family used to brew their contraband liquor in the 1950s. Johnson, and some of his fellow NASCAR racers of the time, honed their driving skills on the backwoods roads of the Carolinas, running 'shine.

Johnson made his first moonshine run at age 14. In 1956, he was convicted on a charge of producing illegal liquor and served a sentence of 11 months in federal prison. He later went on to win two Daytona 500s and a total of 50 NASCAR premier cup victories.