How was Prohibition eventually repealed?
GP: Fundamentally it took the Stock Market Crash and the onset of the Great Depression. America was ready for a change, and we saw a complete shift in government, much like what happened in 2006 and 2008. Democrats took the Republican seats because the Democratic platform included Prohibition repeal. Thirteen years after passing the 18th Amendment, they changed the Constitution back—the only time the United States has done so. The taxes from liquor sales helped fuel many of FDR’s New Deal Programs. AVC: Prohibition gave rise to some unexpected things. Can you explain the Prohibition’s relation to NASCAR? GP: The moonshiners would send their product to market in souped-up cars with skilled drivers who needed to be able to outrun law enforcement if necessary. The drivers started meeting on weekends to race each other. In 1947, long after the Prohibition was repealed, the former bootleggers found legitimate jobs with the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. AVC: How have your p
