(May 29, 2005) Anna Kournikova played a celebrity tennis exhibition at noon on May 28 at Charlotte, NC, against NASCAR drivers Elliott Sadler and Jamie McMurray, and Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler.
And, Johnny... Lesa France Kennedy and brother Brian are not about to let Danica have all the bare midriff fun. Check out the photo of our boy Kasey at the grand opening yesterday of the Kansas Speedway casino!
Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne is escorted into the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway for Friday's official opening. (Photos courtesy of Kansas Speedway)
I'm sure many of us have fond memories of the Hoss Ellington Hawaiian Tropic Donnie Allison sponsorship and Ron Rice's bevy of bikini clad beauties. Some of the pre-Danica bikini days.
Those ladies parading around representing the mysterious and unknown Tuf-Lon product when it sponsored the #28 Black & Silver Pontiac for brother Bobby Allison were none too shabby, either.
Guess those Allison brothers were just plain bikini babe magnets!
There was life before Danica and bikinis in NASCAR back in the day. The bikinis just weren't in the driver's seat!
Billy,
Thanks for sharing. I have not been to the Mooresville museum, but all reports I read from all you folks indicate it is an outstanding visit and worth the trip. Hope to get there.
The Daytona 500 "Countdown Clock" shows 22 days 'till Daytona as I post this. Here's some clips from the first one to whet your appetite. Oh.... be warned... in 1959 you could tell the cars apart and nobody "bought" their way into the race.
Enjoy!
Tom's "New" South, I reckon!
By the way, have any of you folks ever visited Charlotte's Levine Museum of the New South?
http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/
It has been on my "bucket" list for a number of years, but I have yet to make it. It has always seemed to receive very good marks on every review I have read.
This is the exhibit I really wished I hadn't missed:
http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/exhibits/detail/?ExhibitId=11
Next time you're in Charlotte for a NASCAR Hall of Fame visit and develop a thirst after seeing the moonshine still display, you can quench it in high dollar fashion around the corner at Charlotte's Mint Museum "Uptown" location.
According to a recent story in South Park magazine and reprinted today in the Charlotte Observer, the Mint Museum is now serving slightly watered down 80 proof moonshine mixed drinks, some from the distillery partially owned by Wilkes County legend, Junior Johnson.
One of the moonshine distillers says she wants to remind people that there was a long tradition of moonshine before NASCAR. Kinda like the tradition of stock car racing before NASCAR.
The photo below is of the museum's moonshine & honey based "Shanghai Speakeasy."
Joys of moonshine at the Mint Uptown
By Julie Reed Bell
SouthPark Magazine
Posted: Friday, Feb. 03, 2012
This fall saw a strange sight invade the upscale confines of the Mint Museum Uptown and its chic restaurant, Halycon. A bluegrass band played in the lobby, and a special menu was offered featuring that most North Carolina of spirits: moonshine. No Mason jars to be found here, though. These were upscale cocktails created by Maggie Ruppert, Halycon's resident mixologist.
Coinciding with a renaissance of artisan spirits like gin, bourbon and brandy, moonshine is enjoying its own rebirth. This is not your granddaddy's 'shine. That acrid, mouth-burning sensation has been replaced by spices and smoothness. It's no longer pure grain alcohol, either. As Ruppert says, "It's 80 proof, so nobody is going to go blind or fall down the stairs."
To create her specialty beverages, Ruppert used three brands that are native to North Carolina: Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine and Midnight Moon (both from Piedmont Distillers in Madison) and Troy & Sons (in Asheville). Ruppert blended Catdaddy with oolong tea, saffron, local honey and tamarind to create the Shanghai Speakeasy. It's very smooth and subtly spiced, finishing with just a touch of honey.
Catdaddy's was the first product of Piedmont Distillers, founded in 2005. Its name comes from Prohibition legend - at the time, only the best moonshine was called "the catdaddy."
The recipe is closely guarded, but it is made from American corn in a copper still and triple-distilled. The distillery says some people taste vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg or citrus in Catdaddy, but none of those ingredients go into it. They say its flavor is best described as "a little sweet, with a little spice."
In May 2007, moonshine and racing legend Junior Johnson became part owner of Piedmont Distillers, and together they introduced Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon. Based on the Johnson family's generations-old moonshine recipe, it's also made from corn in a copper still, crafted in small batches and triple distilled. It's a clean-tasting spirit that's similar to vodka in flavor profile.
Ruppert used it as a base for her Junior's Repeal cocktail, combining it with house-made brandied persimmon, sugar, grapefruit rind and grapefruit bitters. The result was a refreshing drink that would be a perfect to sip on a hot summer day.
A North Carolina native, Johnson made his first moonshine run at age 14.
After years in the family business, he was convicted in 1956 on a charge of producing illegal liquor. He served 11 months in federal prison and was pardoned by President Ronald Reagan. It was the decades of running moonshine that led to Johnson's career as a race-car driver.
Troy Ball of Troy & Sons Distillers in Asheville wants to remind people that there was a long tradition of moonshine before NASCAR . She says her family's company was inspired by circuit-riding preachers in the 1800s who brought spirits in addition to the Gospel.
Troy & Sons moonshine came to market in June 2011 and won the 2011 silver medal at the New York International Spirits Competition. It is velvety smooth, with vanilla oak undertones and a natural, almost chocolate-like sweetness on the palate. Ruppert combined Troy & Sons with macerated pumpkin and seasonal spices for her Pumpkin Potcheen (potcheen is another word for moonshine). The vanilla and pumpkin combined for a warming and satisfying creation that would be ideally suited for sipping in front of a fireplace.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/02/03/2980589/joys-of-moonshine-at-the-mint.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy
If we do a retrospective award, the 1971 award should go to the Springfield, IL NASCAR Grand American race promoter as documented in the story posted by Dennis Andrews on the NASCAR Grand American Series club site.
The award.... probably should be presented by Bopper
I cannot shake the thought of Cody Dinsmore's Tuesday night Georgia Racing History segment featuring the Columbus SuperSpeedway and the race promoted by Willie Quattlebaum that drew no fans or drivers -
http://georgiaracinghistory.com/2010/08/20/remembering-columbus-super-speedway/
Willie Quattlebaum tried to reopen the track in 1960 with amateurs, but no one showed neither fans nor racers. So Super Speedway at the corner of Victory Drive and Lumpkin Road went the way of all race tracks, as it became a shopping center.
I have been thinking perhaps RacersReunion could give an annual award to the event with the worst field and fewest fans. The promoter might be given a wedge of brie cheese disguised as Lemon Meringue pie, since the promoter will be recognized for the lemon event of the year.
I note that there are still influential Quattlebaums in Columbus, Georgia, so the award might have to be called the Brie Award to avoid offending the Quattlebaum family.
What do you think?
