To the blast of a train horn and the tune of ringing bells, a massive diesel engine streaks into view at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer. Families gather on the platform for their 25-minute train ride, everyone hoping to score one of the window seats.
“This is the perfect place to bring the kids,” Cheryl Taylor says, who visits the museum regularly with her three grandchildren and husband, a veteran railroad engineer. “All of the themed events make each visit feel unique. My husband enjoys the museum just as much as the grandkids, reliving his glory days and keeping everyone entertained with stories from his trips!”
Highlighting North Carolina’s unique, intertwined history of bootleg whisky and stock car racing, the Moonshine and Motorsports Trail celebrates both the history and bright future of NC’s distilling and racing industries. Follow along as we share stories, itineraries and more!
The North Carolina Transportation Museum is just one stop along the state’s Moonshine and Motorsports Trail. The grain spirit and auto racing share a surprising historical connection: Moonshiners frequently modified their cars during Prohibition times so they could transport illegal alcohol quickly across the state, often outrunning the feds — and revving up some friendly competition between each other. These impromptu races eventually formalized into the organized sport that is now a multi-billion-dollar industry.
Established by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, our state’s Moonshine and Motorsports Trail includes 17 iconic locations, featuring historic sites, racetracks, and natural destinations for outdoor exploration. Carve out a weekend and gas up your car; these three stops — all pocketed in the Piedmont — hold fascinating stories for visitors with a need for speed.
Bowman Gray Stadium is NASCAR’s longest running track for weekly racing. Photography courtesy of NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Built in 1937 as a public works project during the Great Depression, Winston-Salem’s Bowman Gray Stadium draws multi-generational crowds to what racing insiders affectionately call “the Madhouse.” As NASCAR’s first track to hold weekly races in the spring and summer seasons (a tradition it continues today), the stadium holds a special place in the sport’s history.
Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins — “two of the founding fathers of NASCAR itself” — started this racetrack, explains Loren Pinilis with Bowman Gray Stadium Racing. “The historic quarter mile was the place where Richard Petty won his 100th race and where Richard Childress fell in love with racing as he hawked peanuts from the stands.”
On Saturday evenings in the spring and summer, the stands surrounding Bowman Gray Stadium fill with fans from every generation. Photography courtesy of NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The legendary list of winners at Bowman Gray Stadium also includes Ralph Earnhardt, Glen Wood, Bobby Allison, Curtis Turner, Jerry Cook, and Junior Johnson, and from April through August, the magic of stadium racing unfolds every Saturday night.
Fans pack the 17,000-seat stadium for the Whelen All-American Series, which is now the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, a points championship for NASCAR-sanctioned local short track motor racing around the United States and Canada. That means drivers get a certain number of points depending on how they place — anywhere from one to 40 — that accumulate throughout the racing season.
In addition to the Whelen All-American Series, Bowman Gray Stadium has hosted the NASCAR Grand National Series (now the NASCAR Cup Series), NASCAR Convertible Division, NASCAR Late Model Short Track Division (now the NASCAR Xfinity Series), and more. Recently, NASCAR acquired control of the stadium lease, ensuring that it will manage all racing activities there through 2050.
Known affectionately as “#3” by his fans, Dale Earnhardt called Kannapolis home. To honor his legacy, the City of Kannapolis built Dale Earnhardt Tribute Plaza, a one-acre plaza featuring a nine-foot, 900-pound bronze statue. The sculpture faces his childhood home and “Idiot’s Circle,” where he first practiced racing and perfected the art of the left turn.
Ask any Kannapolis local, and they’ll tell you Idiot’s Circle is the area of town where teens in Earnhardt’s day cruised around on the weekends. Earnhardt also made his fair share of rounds.
“It is a wonderful place to just read a book, visit with a friend, or have an outdoor lunch,” Annette Privette Keller says, who works nearby as the director of communications for the City of Kannapolis. “In the midst of our busy downtown, it is a place of respite.”
An oval walkway surrounding the statue symbolizes Earnhardt’s racing tracks, and granite sections commemorate his 76 Winston Cup wins, while the seven steps that descend into the plaza from both entrances on Main Street represent Earnhardt’s seven championship victories.
Even the landscaping pays homage to Earnhardt, with azaleas and benches arranged in groups of three. You can even purchase a brick — or three! — and add a personal message to honor the late driver.
The North Carolina Museum of Transportation was once Southern Railway’s largest locomotive repair facility in the Southeast. Photography courtesy of NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Back at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, more than 167,000 annual visitors get an insider’s look at the evolution of transportation. Trains, planes, automobiles, and trucks take center stage, as each played a key role in moving people and goods across the nation and around the world.
Located on the site of what was once a major steam locomotive repair facility for Southern Railway, the museum preserves multiple historic structures. Visitors can wander through the Bob Julian Roundhouse — the largest operating railroad roundhouse in North America — the 90,000-square-foot Back Shop exhibit building featuring vehicles from the road, air, and rail; and the Bumper to Bumper auto exhibit building.
“We are always reaching out to new audiences to make it a fun destination for families,” executive director Kelly Alexander says. She points to seasonal events like THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride at Christmastime.
“Even as the grandchildren have gotten older, we keep coming back,” Taylor says. “A Day Out With Thomas used to be our favorite event, but now that they’re older, they really enjoy dressing up for the Halloween Train and even coming to the auto shows. We all especially love the roundhouse. There is so much history in that building, and for just one dollar, you can even go for a ride on the turntable!”
Ready to plan your Moonshine and Motorsports Trail adventure? Click here to dive into the details of the 17 historic sites along the trail.
Every September, Gorges State Park celebrates the monarch butterfly — and the awe and wonder of its annual migration — with a festival fit for a king.
From sweeping vistas to secluded coves, North Carolina’s four national forests conserve our untamed lands for wildlife and human explorers alike.
Abloom year-round, the Elizabethan Gardens feel fit for a queen. Beyond their beauty, they’re also a living memorial to one of our state’s enduring mysteries.
On his namesake show, the Mount Airy native shared the spotlight with a fictional version of his hometown.
