SAL1 Hickory Crawdads

NASCAR Legend To Appear At Crawdads Game

Published on May 22, 2013 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release


Hickory, NC - The Hickory Crawdads are proud to announce their newly formed partnership with Piedmont Distillers and Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon. The namesake of NASCAR Hall-of-Famer and moonshine legend Junior Johnson, the new moonshine line uses Johnson's very own famous family recipe. The agreement makes L.P. Frans the first ballpark in the state to offer guests moonshine as a mixing option.

To commemorate this exciting agreement, the Crawdads will be hosting a launch party this Thursday, May 23 at L.P. Frans Stadium with a celebration of NASCAR, a Junior Johnson autograph session, and much more. Fans, 21 and over, can enjoy select cocktails made with Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon as well as 12 oz. canned beer for just $1 and 24 oz. canned beer for just $2. Gates open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. game. The Junior Johnson autograph session will begin at 7:05 p.m.

At 14, Junior began delivering his family's moonshine (known as the best in the land) and quickly became a bootlegging legend by outrunning and outsmarting the local police and federal agents. In 1955, Johnson gave up moonshining and began racing fulltime in the NASCAR series. His first full season brought five wins and a sixth place finish in the NASCAR Grand National points standings.

Everything changed one night in 1956, when Junior won a race in Pennsylvania then drove all night to get home. His dad and brother had overslept and asked him to fire up a moonshine still. The still had been staked out by 18 Federal tax agents and Junior was arrested and convicted of moonshining. He served 11 months of a two-year sentence in a federal prison in Chillicothe, Ohio. The conviction was eventually pardoned by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, a gesture Junior looks at as "one of the greatest things in my life."

Junior went on to invent "drafting" and became one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, retiring in 1966 with 50 total race victories. After retiring, Johnson formed his own race team and built one of the most successful teams in the history of the sport. Johnson worked with legendary drivers like Darel Dieringer, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, and Terry Labonte. In all, Johnson's drivers won 139 races and six championships.

Junior was part of the first class to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010, joining NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., son Bill France, Jr., and fellow drivers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. A 1965 Esquire magazine article titled "The Last American Hero is Junior Johnson. Yes!" turned Johnson into a national celebrity beyond the NASCAR circle. (http://www.esquire.com/features/life-of-junior-johnson-tom-wolfe-0365)

In 2007, Junior Johnson joined Piedmont Distillers and shared his family's moonshine recipe, creating Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon moonshine.

For more information on Thursday's festivities or the newly formed partnership with Midnight Moon, please call Jocelyn Hill at 828.322.3000 or email jhill@hickorycrawdads.com.

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