Originally Posted by Don Capps
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That there have been those actively engaged in the illegal manufacture and transport of illegal alcohol who also drove and/or owned stock cars or tracks or were promoters is not questioned. What is under question is the role of those folks in the formation of stock car racing. In many cases, the numbers and roles of the "moonshiners" involved in stock car racing, especially NASCAR, during the Forties and Fifties have been either exaggerated or somewhat embellished tending to overshadow, deliberately or otherwise, the presence of the others involved in the sport. It could be suggested that the focus on the drivers who were -- or thought to be -- involved in the transportation of illegal liquor may have shifted attention away from the true role of the illegal alcohol business regarding stock car racing -- as a means to "launder" money generated by that illegal activity. Recent discussions on the role of "moonshine" in stock car racing tend to be focusing on this aspect of their involvement, particularly in light of the known instances of money generated from the illegal liquor trade being used to promote events through the simple expedient of track ownership.
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