It’s a Dirt Track Life: Memories of Dirt Track Racing from Dawsonville to Gatlinburg. Image courtesy of East Tennessee Historical Society.

KNOXVILLE — A documentary, It’s a Dirt Track Life: Memories of Dirt Track Racing from Dawsonville to Gatlinburg will be screened on Sunday, June 8 at the East Tennessee Historical Society. Screening will begin at 2:30 p.m.

Dirt track racing became all the rage after World War II, with huge crowds turning out to witness the races in communities across the South. Many early drivers gained their driving skills running moonshine in the mountains of Tennessee and Georgia. Some of the more talented drivers left the mountain roads and tracks to race on the sandy beaches of Daytona, many of them later becoming race car drivers when NASCAR was formed. It’s a Dirt Track Life by Ron and Debbie Moore explores the spills, thrills, stories, and stars of early dirt track racing through vintage photographs, films, and interviews with fans, drivers, and moonshiners.

Ron and Debbie Moore are from Cleveland, Tennessee. They host a weekly radio show, Old Town Cleveland, and are very active in a number of other historical projects. They were most recently the recipients of the ETHS History in the Media Award as well as an Award of Distinction for It’s a Dirt Track Life.

The program is sponsored by 21st Mortgage and is free to everyone. The screening will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the East Tennessee History Center. For more information on the lecture, exhibitions, or museum hours, call 865-215-8824 or visit the website at www.EastTNHistory.org.