Possible moonshine cave discovered under grandstands at NASCAR track in North Carolina

Workers at a legendary North Carolina NASCAR track may have inadvertently discovered a hidden moonshine cave underneath the track's grandstands.

The discovery was made last week after staff at the North Wilkesboro Speedway were doing routine inspections and cleanings on the grandstands, officials said Tuesday.

During the inspections, operations staff discovered cracks in the original concrete in Section N and when they removed the seats to inspect the extent of the damage they found a small 700-square-foot cave underneath, officials said.

“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, said in a statement.

While officials have not confirmed if the cave was indeed used for moonshining, Swift added the cave "would have been the perfect location to not only make illegal liquor but to hide from the law as well.”

According to the speedway's website, North Wilkesboro Speedway was one of the original NASCAR racetracks after its opening in 1947. However, the speedway was closed in 1996 for repairs and was reopened in 2023.