A possible moonshine cave was found hidden beneath the concrete grandstands at a North Carolina NASCAR racetrack.
The discovery was made last week at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway, built in 1947, where rumors about a secret moonshine still have abounded for decades, according to WBTV.
Workers at the track found the hidden cave while checking the grandstands for damage after a sinkhole formed. As they removed seats for further inspection, an open area was revealed that is believed to be an underground cave where bootleggers used to brew hooch.
“When we began renovating and restoring North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2022, we’d often hear stories of how an old moonshine still was operated here on the property under the grandstands,” Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations and development at Speedway Motorsports, told the outlet.
“Well, we haven’t found a still (yet), but we’ve found a small cave and an interior wall that would have been the perfect location to not only make illegal liquor, but to hide from the law as well,” he added.
“We don’t know how people would have gotten in and out, but as we uncover more, there’s no telling what we might find.”
Speedway Motorsports staff are evaluating the next steps for foundation repair and concrete replacement ahead of the upcoming NASCAR All-Star Race Week from May 14 through May 19, WBTV reported.
North Wilkesboro Speedway is one of NASCAR’s original racetracks. The track hosted the season finale for the first Strictly Stock (now Cup) Series in 1949.
It closed in 1996 but was reopened in August 2022 to host a number of racing events.
