Those who have been long-time NASCAR fans will be able to tell some colorful stories about NASCAR legend, Junior Johnson, who will be visiting Dawsonville’s RK Package Store on Saturday, October 27, 11:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m., during the ever-popular annual Moonshine Festival.

Considered by many as one of the greatest drivers ever to round the track during countless NASCAR events, others may not know that Johnson is also legendary for running moonshine as a young man. He grew up on a farm and developed his driving skills as a ‘moonshine runner’ for his dad. As the stories go, Johnson consistently outran and outfoxed local police and federal agents in auto chases and was never caught while delivering moonshine to customers. Talk about some driving skills.

Johnson became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s, and he won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966. In the midst of his glories on the track, his moonshine running history caught up with him, and in 1956, Johnson was caught working at his father's moonshine still in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and was arrested. Johnson was convicted of moonshining and was sent to prison in Chillicothe, Ohio. He served 11 months of a two-year sentence, receiving a presidential pardon from President Ronald Reagan, which restored his right to vote and hold a passport. In his own words, he considered Reagan’s pardon “one of the greatest things in my life."

In the 1970s and 1980s, on the heels of a dynamic NASCAR career, Johnson became a hugely successful NASCAR racing team owner, and in 1991, he was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.  

Today, Johnson runs a successful country ham and pork skin business, and a variety of his products can be found at www.juniorjohnson.org, his official web site, along with an interesting biography, photo gallery and anecdotes from many who have known the racing legend. 

The moonshine business is still a part of Johnson’s life, and in fact, he sells two brands, ‘Cat Daddy’ and ‘Midnight Moon,’ both of which are available at RK Package in Dawsonville. “As part of the Moonshine Festival celebration, we are honored that Junior Johnson will be joining us on Saturday, October 27, signing bottles of his ‘Cat Daddy’ and ‘Midnight Moon’ brands for fans and customers of RK Package,” commented Mark Keeney, one of the owners of RK Package. “Jim Rapp and I welcome all to stop in during the Moonshine Festival and meet Junior Johnson as he visits with us.  And with fall being a busy time of year, we understand that some folks might not be able to join us on Saturday, so we’re inviting customers to make a purchase ahead of time, and we’ll make sure Junior signs those items,” Keeney continued. 

In addition to his appearance at RK Package, Johnson will participate in the Festival’s parade and will also have a vendor booth throughout the event. For more information on Johnson’s visit to RK Package, or to purchase items in advance for signing, please call (706) 216-2265. 

RK Package Store is located at 142 Prestige Lane, Suite 100, Dawsonville, GA  30534.  For more information, please phone 706-216-8398 or email rkpackage@yahoo.com.

Tags: Beverages, Package Store