The role moonshine played in launching stock car racing is well-documented, and the two will come together again Saturday during an annual event in Mount Airy.
Now in its third year, the Moonshine and Racers’ Reunion will be held downtown from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is scheduled to feature appearances by NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bobby Allison and others from the motor sports world who will be signing autographs.
The event is free and open to the public.
Reunion activities including the autograph session will be centered in the municipal parking lot between Old North State Winery and Brannock and Hiatt Furniture Co. More than 100 race cars, some driven by famous drivers over the years, are expected to be on display along sections of street, eclipsing the number in 2021.
The moonshine component of the reunion will be supplied by individuals who have appeared in the “Moonshiners” reality-television series, such as Big Chuck, with distilleries and demonstrations also planned.
A band, Sons of Bootleg, is scheduled to perform a free concert from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, with a silent auction further slated.
Big crowd expected
On top of the previous popularity of the Moonshine and Racers’ Reunion, which lost one year of its annual series due to COVID-19, in 2020, organizers are expecting Saturday’s event to take the checkered flag in terms of success.
“It’s going to be bigger than it has been being,” Gail Hiatt, one of the coordinators involved, said of the reunion’s overall scope.
Along with Bobby Allison, racing figures to be on hand include Ronnie Thomas, the 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, and Marilyn Green, the first Miss Winston Cup, along with a lengthy list of other drivers.
Family members of deceased racers also are scheduled to be at the reunion, including those representing such legends as Wendell Scott, Curtis Turner, Tim Flock and J.D. McDuffie.
Phil Marsh, another reunion organizer, said one individual signed hundreds of autographs during last year’s well-attended session that reflects the ongoing popularity of racing in this area — and yes, the moonshine culture.
“Several thousand had to attend,” he estimated regarding the fan reception for the 2021 event. “As far as the crowd, they were lined up everywhere.”
Another highlight of the reunion will be a visit to the site of the Mount Airy Speedway/White Dirt Race Track, located on Race Track Road off N.C. 89 west of town. This is expected to include a makeshift parade there of street-legal race cars present.
Upon arriving, participants will park in a field and hear about the history of the track from Howard Hull, who is in his mid-90s.
That facility, which opened in 1946, was the first organized dirt track anywhere around. One of its competitors was Curtis Turner, who was among the fastest and most-colorful racers in NASCAR’s early years — called by some the “Babe Ruth of stock car racing.”
In more recent times, the abandoned track near Mount Airy has been used for agricultural purposes.
“Its part of history,” another event organizer, Bill Blair, said of the collective reunion activities to rev up Saturday.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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