October 3, 2013 Moonshine History and how it Created nascar

Erin Schubach

Research

October 3, 2013

Moonshine History and how it Created NASCAR

Did you know that moonshine created NASCAR? Moonshine needed to be transported fast, and eventually, it became a sport. Moonshine is any kind of alcohol, usually whisky or rum, that is made in secret to avoid high taxes or outright bans on alcoholic drinks. The term "moonshine" comes from Britain, "moonshining", referred to any job or activity that was done late at night. People have been making and selling moonshine since the 1800’s. People needed a way to make more money, so they would make moonshine to pay for things they needed. It was a good way, but the government was greedy and, of course, wanted to tax and regulate it. But it was mostly done secretly, so it was like drugs, they did it anyway and some didn’t get caught. Moonshine created NASCAR and has its roots deep in Appalachia, and South Carolina.

“Making alcohol revolves around two processes: fermentation and distillation. Fermentation is a chemical reaction that occurs when the yeast breaks down the sugar. One result of that reaction is alcohol. Distillation is the process of evaporating the alcohol (which boils at a lower temperature than water) and collecting the steam before condensing it back into liquid form.” (Grabianowski) now I’ll tell you the exact steps to making moonshine.

1. The corn is ground into meal. Today, some moonshiners use hog feed because it's mostly made of corn and is easy to buy without attracting a lot of attention.

2. The corn meal is soaked in hot water in the still. Sometimes sugar is added, but traditional moonshiners added malt to convert the starch in the corn meal into sugar. Then the yeast is put in, which starts the fermentation process. This mixture, called mash, is stirred thoroughly and heated for a set amount of time in the still. The still and all the metal piping used are made of copper, which conducts heat well.

3. The stone furnace beneath the still is brought up to about 172 degrees Fahrenheit. Wood, coal and even steam have been used in the past to heat the still, but most moonshiners started using propane decades ago.

4. The alcohol evaporates. As the alcohol evaporates, pressure builds in the still, the alcohol steam is forced through a pipe that leads out of the top of the still.

5. Some moonshiners use a thump keg, which is a heated barrel where the steam is forced to go. Some solid pieces of mash usually comes along with the steam, so the thump keg, named for the thumping sound the bits of mash make, makes the alcohol evaporate again, filtering out the mash. If a moonshiner wants to make his or her alcohol extra strong, they might "charge" the thump keg, or add undistilled mash or a few gallons of alcohol into the keg so the steam picks up extra alcohol vapor on its way to the worm box.

6. The steam goes through the worm, the worm is a coiled bit of pipe that winds down the inside of the worm box. The worm box is a crate or barrel that has cold water, usually taken from a nearby creek, flowing into the top and then back out the bottom. This keeps the worm in circulating cold water, which condenses the alcohol steam into liquid.

7. A spout goes from the end of the worm into a bucket.

8. The clear liquid is ready to be sold.

Moonshine isn’t always illegal. You can make it for your own personal use, but if you had a 100 gallon still, it would be pretty hard to convince the law it’s for your personal use.

NASCAR is more than just racing, it has the prerace (or qualifying round), sponsors selling things, and the games sponsors provide. Since Moonshiners didn’t want to get caught, they had to make sure their cars were faster than the cop cars. When NASCAR started, moonshine didn’t just stop, most people just kept doing it. Many of the moonshiner’s cars were faster than the ones on the track.

Back when NASCAR first started, it was basically a free for all, no rules, no regulations. Now almost everything has a rule or regulation for protection and to stop cheating. NASCAR makes the rules to how cars are built, races are run, and how to determine the points system. The engine in a NASCAR car must match all of the NASCAR rules. Harris says that… “They must have eight cylinders, a compression ratio of 12:1, a displacement no greater than 358 cubic inches and a performance package that allows for greater engine torque without sacrificing durability.” Before race cars enter the track, inspectors check for all these things, then they get on the track to race.

But before the race, there’s the pre-race. Most pre-race activities are in the Mid-Way. Sponsors have places for you to buy souvenirs; you can also get signatures from your favorite race car driver. They’ll answer questions and many other things. You can also get pit passes and go to your favorite driver’s pit. A racers dream!

After all this, then the races begin. In the first 26 races, anyone can join the NASCAR races that have the means to fund it and do it. It’s hard work and takes a lot of skill. Most NASCAR racers start racing when they’re about 4 years old. And most are getting a college education, since cars are no longer simple; they need AT LEAST a high school education. When NASCAR first started, that wasn’t the case; you could drop out and still be successful.

Before you can get on the Sprint Cup Grid, you have to attend every one of the 26 races, unless a good reason is given. The first 3 races, The Budweiser Duel #1 and #2, and The Daytona 500 (possibly the most famous race) are in Daytona Beach, FL. Daytona beach is also where the most famous racer of all time, Dale Earnhardt Sr., died in a car crash. The Profit on CNBC 500, Presented by Small Business Fueling America is in Avondale, AZ. The KOBALT 400 is in Las Vegas, NV. The Food City 500 is in Bristol, TN. The Auto Club 400 is in Fontana, CA. The STP 500 is in Martinsville, VA. The (this is one of my favorites) Duck Commander 500 is in Fort Worth, TX. The Bojangles' Southern 500 is in Darlington, SC. The Toyota Owners 400 is in Richmond, VA. The Aaron's 499 Talladega Superspeedway (another famous race track) is in Talladega, AL. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series May Kansas Race is in Kansas City, KS. The Sprint Showdown is in Concord, NC. The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is in Concord, NC. The Coca-Cola 600 is in Concord, NC. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series June Dover Race is in Dover, DE. The Pocono 400 is in Long Pond, PA. The Quicken Loans 400 is in Brooklyn, MI. The Toyota - Save Mart 350 is in Sonoma, CA. The Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts is in Sparta, KY. The Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola is in Daytona Beach, FL. The Camping World RV Sales 301 is in Loudon, NH. The Crown Royal Presents Your Hero's Name Here 400 at The Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway (another famous speedway) is in Speedway, IN. The GoBowling.com 400 is in Long Pond, PA. The Cheez-it 355 is in Watkins Glen, NY.

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September 2014

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NASCAR announced a new championship format today that will put greater emphasis on winning races all season long, now more people can join the NASCAR Sprint Cup field; now its 16 drivers, and has a new round-by-round advancement format that will reward a worthy champion.

Before you can join the NASCAR Sprint Cup race, you must be eligible. The top 15 drivers with the most wins over the first 26 races will earn a spot in the Chase Grid, only if they have finished in the top 30 in points and attempted to qualify for every race (except in rare instances). The 16th Chase position will go to the points leader after race 26, if he or she does not have victory. In the event that there are 16 or more different winners over 26 races, the only winless driver who can earn a Chase Grid spot would be the points leader after 26 races. If there are fewer than 16 different winners in the first 26 races, the remaining Chase Grid positions will go to those winless drivers highest in points. If there are 16 or more different winners in the first 26 races, the ties will first be broken by number of wins, followed by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver points.

In the NASCAR Sprint Cup chase races, there are 3 rounds, the "Challenger Round.", the "Contender Round.", and the "Eliminator Round". Sixteen people will be entered. “As was implemented in 2011, prior to the start of the Chase, all Chase Grid drivers will have their points adjusted to 2,000, with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 26 races.” ("Chase for the Sprint Cup Format Change")

The first round (races 27-29) will be the "Challenger Round." If a driver in the Chase Grid wins a Challenger Round race, the driver advances and his or her points will be reset to 3,000. Only the top 12 in points will advance, and all will then have their points reset to 3,000.

The second round (races 30-32) will be called the "Contender Round." If a driver in the top 12 in points wins a race in the Contender Round, the driver advances and his or her points will reset to 4,000. Only the top eight in points advance, and will have their points reset to 4,000.

The third round (races 33-35) will be called the "Eliminator Round." If a driver in the top eight in points wins a race in the Eliminator Round, the driver advances and his or her points will reset to 5,000. The top four in points advance, and will have their points reset to 5,000.

The 36th and final race of the season will be the "NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship." Simply stated, the highest finisher in the Championship race among the remaining four eligible drivers will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title, and the races are over.

MLA citations

Aumann, Mark. "NASCAR Drivers, Race Standings & News | NASCAR.com." NASCAR.com ……….NASCAR, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

"Chase for the Sprint Cup Format Change." Chase for the Sprint Cup Format Change. NASCAR, ………..n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

"FREE MOONSHINE RECIPES." FREE MOONSHINE RECIPES. Georgia Ridge

Stills, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.stitute & Museum, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.

Grabianowski, Ed. "How Moonshine Works." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov.

2013.

Houston, Rick. "NASCAR's Earliest Days Forever Connected to Bootlegging."

NASCAR's Earliest Days Forever Connected to Bootlegging. NASCAR, 01 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.

Johnson, Ron, and Nancy Johnson. "Moonshiner 28 from Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap to

Walhalla SC." Moonshiner 28 from Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap to Walhalla SC.

Moonshiner 28, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.

"Moonshine - Blue Ridge Style - Still Types and Techniques." Moonshine - Blue Ridge Style –

Still Types and Techniques. Blue Ridge In Wilson, Colonel Vaughn.

“Style - Still Types and Techniques.” Blue Ridge Institute & Museum, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/moonshine4.htm

http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/moonshine/still%20_types_and_techniques.html

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/moonshiners/100-proofs-100-truths.htm