Driving with the Devil

Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR

By: Neal Thompson

Narrated by: Buz Mckim

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

“Moonshiners put more time, energy, thought, and love into their cars than any racer ever will. Lose on the track and you go home. Lose with a load of whiskey and you go to jail.” - Junior Johnson, NASCAR legend and one-time whiskey runner.

Today’s NASCAR is a family sport with 75 million loyal fans, which is growing bigger and more mainstream by the day. Part Disney, part Vegas, part Barnum & Bailey, NASCAR is also a multibillion-dollar business and a cultural phenomenon that transcends geography, class, and gender. But dark secrets lurk in NASCAR’s past.

Driving with the Devil uncovers for the first time the true story behind NASCAR’s distant, moonshine-fueled origins and paints a rich portrait of the colorful men who created it. Long before the sport of stock-car racing even existed, young men in the rural, Depression-wracked South had figured out that cars and speed were tickets to a better life. With few options beyond the farm or factory, the best chance of escape was running moonshine. Bootlegging offered speed, adventure, and wads of cash—if the drivers survived. Driving with the Devil is the story of bootleggers whose empires grew during Prohibition and continued to thrive well after Repeal, and of drivers who thundered down dusty back roads with moonshine deliveries, deftly outrunning federal agents. The car of choice was the Ford V-8, the hottest car of the 1930s, and ace mechanics tinkered with them until they could fly across mountain roads at 100 miles an hour.

After fighting in World War II, moonshiners transferred their skills to the rough, red-dirt racetracks of Dixie, and a national sport was born. In this dynamic era (1930s and ’40s), three men with a passion for Ford V-8s - convicted criminal Ray Parks, foul-mouthed mechanic Red Vogt, and crippled war veteran Red Byron, NASCAR’s first champion - emerged as the first stock car “team.” Theirs is the violent, poignant story of how moonshine and fast cars merged to create a new sport for the South to call its own.

Driving with the Devil is a fascinating look at the well-hidden historical connection between whiskey running and stock-car racing. NASCAR histories will tell you who led every lap of every race since the first official race in 1948. Driving with the Devil goes deeper to bring you the excitement, passion, crime, and death-defying feats of the wild, early days that NASCAR has carefully hidden from public view. In the tradition of Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit, this tale not only reveals a bygone era of a beloved sport, but also the character of the country at a moment in time.

©2006 Neal Thompson (P)2013 Native Intelligence

a must-read for True racing fans

really enjoyed the book. brings to light how much of a dictator and jerk Bill France and his family truly are

quote. end quote. quote. end quote. quote. end quo

it's a little insulting to think listener's can't figure out what is quoted text from context. Hearing "quote, end quote" literally 5 to 10 times a minute just grinds on your nerves. Nearly making it unlistenable.

great story and informative

This isn't a fiction novel. if you like cars, moonshine, or history, then this book is ment for you.

So much great history

The only thing I didn't like was most of the narration starts the sentence with the words "Quote unquote". If that what I feel unnecessary stuff (since they credit a source after the sentence anyway) this book could be cut down a couple of hours. Other than that it was a great story and so many fun facts that fill in a bunch of gaps and gives me a better understanding of the early days.

NASCAR History

As a 54 yr old NASCAR fan , I thoroughly enjoyed this book . Fun , exciting and informative.

Keeps your interest from beginning to end!

Highly recommend between the history and entertainment you can't ask for much more. It's a great listen.

From moonshiner to NASCAR tailgate parties!

This read was absolutely an amazing read! I couldn’t help but turn to YouTube for all the videos on moonshiners cars, and what it took to keep them just ahead of the dang revenue! However, I too found the excessive quote, unquote thing, to be a bit irritating.

Excellent documentary, Narrator annoying

The story itself is detailed and well told. The narrator has a pleasant enough speaking voice but insists on heavily over-using the phrase "Quote/Unquote". As astute listeners we can tell when there is a direct quote being read to us, We don't need to hear "Quote/Unquote" several times per paragraph. This really detracts from the performance. In the future I will avoid any book being read by this performer for this reason alone..

Excellent listen. Highly recommend even if you’re not a NASCAR fan.

A gem of US motorsports history that should be interesting to a wide range of audiences.

"Quote" "Horrible Narration" "End Quote"

Good story ruined by terrible narrator. The incessant use of the words quote end quote make it almost impossible to follow the story. Save your credit and read this book yourself.