What is North Carolina's most iconic brand?

Pepsi.

Texas Pete.

Krispy Kreme.

Those are some of the most well-known brands in America, and they were born in North Carolina. But they are not alone. The Old North State has also given birth to some other high-profile brands like Cheerwine, Mount Olive pickles, Bojangles, Hardee's and Goodys powders. 

We can also add to the list Cook-Out and Biscuitville, though they are both more regionally-bound brands and Biscuitville, admittedly, started in Danville, VA. Also, don't sleep on Lance crackers:

In 1913 Phillip Lott a food broker from Charlotte got stuck with 500 pounds of peanuts. He sold them and was then inspired to create the now popular snack company.

(Also: What is the deal with all this food?!) 

But what is the most iconic "brand" of all to come from North Carolina?

One could argue sports/college brands like the ACC, UNC, Duke, NC State would make the list. Or perhaps NASCAR (which got its start in the hills of the state). 

Or, perhaps, the most famous brand is just "barbecue." I think we may all agree on that ... though WHICH kind may still lead to some PASSIONATE discussions.

Image courtesy of NCTripping.com

Here's a time where we could be jealous of Maryland

As noted before, we are big fans of the folks over at Atlas Obscura. They just do amazing work highlighting the odd places and things all over this great world of ours. I recently stumbled over an article that explains how jousting -- yes, JOUSTING -- is the official state sport of Maryland. I mean, HOW COOL IS THAT!?

Jousting is apparently very rooted in history in Maryland.

Jousting tournaments have been taking place in the Mid-Atlantic state since colonial times, a medieval tradition brought over from the old country. But it wasn’t until 1962 that Maryland named jousting its official state sport, simultaneously making it the first U.S. state to make such a designation. To this day, only a handful of U.S. states have chosen to name official state sports, and fewer still have chosen something as esoteric as jousting.

The sport first made its way from England to Maryland thanks to the influence of colonial Maryland’s first governor, Cecil Calvert, and later, his son Charles. It’s a tradition that’s managed to survive through the centuries, embedding itself in the state’s cultural DNA.

(Side note: Another cool, old sport that I stumbled across at Atlas Obscura was Pushball. I'm sad this drifted away into the ether of time!)

North Carolina is one of those few states mentioned with an official state sport. There are some really cool ones out there. California gets surfing. Alaska boasts mushing. There are a few that list rodeo. And so on.

Ours is .... {checks notes} ... stock car racing. Make sense, I reckon. It is a sport steeped in this state and very much ingrained. It is probably the most appropriate choice for an official state sport in North Carolina. But part of me wishes the state sport of N.C. was something a bit more egalitarian. But heck, not everyone can afford horses, either. 

What other sports could be considered the state sport? Gotta think college basketball was in the discussion. Anything else? (I'm not the only one who thinks about silly stuff like this, by the way.)

Sports Hall of Fame to hit the road

I'm fortunate that I can walk just a few blocks (either from home or work) to spend my lunch hour marveling at the wonderful exhibits in the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame, which is housed in the N.C. Museum of History. Not everyone is as lucky. The good news is that very soon there will be a mobile version of the sports museum. Not a mobile app, mind you, but a real, honest-to-goodness mobile unit that will take the story of the state's sports heritage out and about.

From WECT:

While the Hall of Fame itself remains in Raleigh, a small version of it will be on the road, hopefully by the spring of next year.

"It is a mobile unit that we are very excited about," said [Museum Executive Director Don] Fish. "It will offer us the opportunity to expose the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame throughout the state and encourage people to come back here, to Raleigh, for the full view of the museum."

Hall of Fame officials hope the new mobile unit will be up and running by May 2012, just in time for the next induction ceremony and the 50^th anniversary of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

If you have never made it to the Sports Hall of Fame, I highly recommend it. As WECT describes it, you'll find "the story of NASCAR legend Richard Petty, who emerged from the small town of Randleman, to become one of the most famous sports figures in the country's history" to Jimmy V's warm-up suit to Choo-Choo Justice's jersey and much more.

And the official state sport is ...?

... if you guess basketball, then you'd be wrong. But if you guessed NASCAR, well, ding ding.

Gov. Bev Perdue is waving the green flag to make stock car racing North Carolina's official sport, says the AP.

Perdue planned to visit Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday and sign a bill that makes official the state's close and longstanding connection with the popular pastime.

Elementary school students urged legislators to place stock car racing on the list of state superlatives — the state bird is already the cardinal, the turtle is the state reptile and the sweet potato the official vegetable. ...

The bill notes that North Carolina's motorsports industry creates more than 20,000 jobs in the state and is home to racing greats such as Richard Petty and Junior Johnson.

Thoughts? Is this appropriate and spot-on? Does it enhance a stereotype? Does it really matter at all?

Stock car racing could be state sport

I'm certainly no NASCAR fan, but there's no arguing the impact that the sport has had on the state of North Carolina -- or the impact the state has had on the sport.

So it's not surprising that the General Assembly -- in its effort to tab something as the state "sport" -- is thinking of honoring stock car racing. Less surprising is that the effort is coming from the Heart of NASCAR country: Mooresville.

"Two new bills introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly last week came directly from the people — 13 elementary-school students, to be exact," said the Mountain XPress. "The Mooresville self-designated 'pit crew' worked secretly at first on their proposal to make stock-car racing the official state sport, according to 'That’s Racin’' in The Charlotte Observer, so as not to tip off enthusiasts of any other sport. Then they obtained the cooperation of Rep. Gray Mills, Mooresville Republican, who became the primary sponsor of HB 333. Across the aisle, a familiar Western North Carolina racing enthusiast, Buncombe County’s Democract Martin Nesbitt Jr., was joined by Hendersonville Republican Tom Apodaca in introducing a companion bill (SB 322), and the race was on. ..."

Quick hits; A new NASCAR Hall class announced, and N.C. is very good for jobs

Pearson headlines second NASCAR Hall class

"David Pearson finally received his spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Wednesday, earning the most votes a year after the 105-race winner was surprisingly excluded from the inaugural class," says the AP.

"The Silver Fox received 94 percent of the vote and was the first of the five inductees called by NASCAR chairman Brian France. He immediately received a standing ovation from those gathered in the Great Hall of the Hall of Fame.

"He insisted he wasn't upset that he had not made it in with the first class.

“ 'There was no sting about the first place, a lot of people thought there was, but I knew three weeks before I wasn't going in,' Pearson said. ...."

Forbes names N.C. No. 3 for jobs

"North Carolina is the third best state in the country for business and careers, Forbes magazine says in a new report.

"The Tar Heel state climbed two spots in the rankings from a year ago," says WRAL.

Forbes listed North Carolina as:

• No. 3 in business costs
• No. 15 in labor supply
• No. 3 for regulatory climate
• No. 18 for economic climate
• No. 9 for growth prospects
• No. 32 for quality of life

NYT Mag: Dale Jr. 'wanted to get out from under being Dale Earnhardt's son'

The New York Times Magazine has a very intriguing profile on NASCAR racer and product pitchman Dale Earnhardt Jr. The piece, "In the Name of the Father," written by Pat Jordan, basically asks, "Can Dale Earnhardt Jr. Outrace His Father's Influence?"

The short answer, upon reading the piece, is that Little E has struggled mightily to do that -- with little to show for it. He does, however, keep trying. To his credit, "Junior" attempts to keep some semblance of normalcy in his life -- which is tough with 3-4 PR people around him at almost all times.

“He is very, very introverted,” a publicist says [begins the article]. “He lives alone. He plays video games by himself eight hours at a clip. He’s a multimillionaire, yet he lived alone for months in a 20-by-20 garage loft.”

The 35-year-old Earnhardt "has been the most famous driver in Nascar, and most beloved by fans, over the past eight years, and yet he has almost vanished from sight in Nascar winner circles. He has not won at Nascar’s top level since 2008. Last year, his worst ever, he finished 25th out of 72 Nascar drivers in the final standings — a sad comedown for a driver who was once a kind of Elvis of his sport, the winner of 15 races in his first five full seasons, starting in 2000. So this season would seem to be pivotal for Earnhardt, because it may well determine whether he reclaims his position as Nascar royalty — his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., was one of Nascar’s greatest drivers — or sink for good into midpack anonymity, grinding out one frustrating race after another as he pushes 40, the equivalent of Elvis as a second-rate Vegas lounge crooner."

Here are some more of the highlights from the article (which you can read by clicking above).

For the past seven years, Nascar fans have voted Earnhardt Jr. their favorite driver. He has appeared on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," hosted his own TV show, “Back in the Day,” and handed out an award at the Country Music Awards ceremony. He makes millions of dollars a year racing, and he earns another $10 million endorsing the likes of Adidas, Nationwide Insurance and Wrangler jeans, and for selling merchandise with his name, face, car number and signature on it. His crew chief, Lance McGrew, described him to me as “the Pied Piper of Nascar.” “If Dale’s not running good in a race, fans turn the channel. He’s Nascar’s most important marketing tool.” Mark Martin, Earnhardt’s racing teammate, told me, “Junior has the weight of Nascar world on his shoulders.”

...

His father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., grew up hardscrabble in Kannapolis, N.C., dropped out of school in ninth grade, married and had kids as a teenager and spent his early race years hustling odd jobs as a mechanic, welder, anything in order to put together a stake to keep his race cars running. He was an aggressive driver, one short step from a dirty driver. His fans called him the Man in Black, Big E, the Intimidator and Ironhead. He began his career in 1975 and was the last of a line of irascible, hard-nosed, old-timey drivers going back to moonshiners outrunning revenuers over mountain roads. Earnhardt Sr. was beloved because he started poor, like his fans, was ruthless on the track and a winner. Today many of the best Nascar drivers, like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, are not Southerners at all (both are from California) and are clean-shaven, well-spoken men who never banged around dilapidated race cars on red clay tracks.

...

“It’s hard to maintain your cool dealin’ with three or four P.R. people [said Earnhardt]. People think I’m always pickin’ my next move. Hell, I have no marketing savvy. I just do what I’m told. It’s frustrating to hear I should decide whether I want to be a race-car driver or a marketing tool. In Nascar I have to be both.”

...

Nascar, like country music, likes to refer to itself as family, and in truth, it has always been dominated by families. ... Earnhardt Sr. had three families. He left his first two without much consideration. He let his first wife’s new husband adopt his son Kerry so he wouldn’t have to pay child support. His second wife struggled financially with Dale and Kelley until their house burned down and he reluctantly took in his two children when they were 10 and 12, respectively. There was tension from the very beginning between Earnhardt Jr. and his father’s third wife, Teresa. On top of that, Earnhardt Sr. was a strict, penurious and distant father. His son and Kelley had a 13-inch black-and-white TV for 15 years.

“My daddy never let us have friends over,” Earnhardt told me, “’cause he didn’t want them tearing up his new possessions. He never really did anything with me. He never told me things. We were raised by six or seven nannies. I always thought he felt I wasn’t much like him.” Kelley says that as a child, her brother was small, timid and sensitive. Kids bullied him. She tried to protect him. “We were as close as you could be,” Earnhardt said. “We still are.” He went on to say, “I feel like a child star protected by all these stage moms.”

...

Earnhardt is reclusive because beyond his own small world in Mooresville (what his publicist calls his playground), his life isn’t his own. It wasn’t his own when he was under the shadow of his father, and now he has found himself held hostage again, this time by Nascar. He’s too valuable for Nascar to be left on his own. So he’s constantly trailed and driven and steered this way and that by his handlers.

(Image from Mark Peterson/Redux for the New York Times)

People still flock to remember 'The Intimidator'

I remember, in college, once joking (somewhat darkly, I now concede) that when "Dale Earnhardt dies, all the flags in this state will be held at half-staff." Of course, I made this comment thinking that this would take place around, oh, 2040 or so.

Hard to believe, but it's been some nine years since "The Intimidator" died in a crash on the track. But fans still flock to Dale Earnhardt, Inc., in Mooresville to pay their respects.

Yesterday (Feb. 18) was the 9th annual Dale Earnhardt Candlelight Tribute, and ThatsRacin.com has a photo gallery from the event. This was the first time that the tribute was held inside the DEI facility.

(Image by David Foster)

Appropriate: NASCAR Hall's first class has N.C. feel

It only makes sense that NASCAR's intitial Hall of Fame class would have a decidedly North Carolina feel to it.

After 60 years of racing, months of speculation and a final, spirited discussion among voters, the five men named Wednesday as the first inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame – Bill France Sr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Jr. and Junior Johnson – came as no surprise [said the Charlotte Observer].

The sport's founding father and his son (the Frances), the sport's all-time winningest driver and seven-time champion (Petty), another seven-time champion (Earnhardt) and one of the most successful driver/owners ever (Johnson) will be inducted into the new uptown Hall of Fame on May 23, 2010.

Petty is the pride of Randleman and Randolph County; a statue of Earnhardt stands sentinel over Kannapolis; and Johnson ran 'shine in the N.C. hills before running to greatness in the sport.

The building that will house the hall is owned by the city of Charlotte and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

The $195 million hall will feature a theater, NASCAR memorabilia and interactive exhibits. The city is paying for most of the building construction through a hotel/motel tax. The rest of the funding comes from bank loans backed by sponsorships and sales of commemorative bricks.

It is scheduled to open in May.

Fore more, check out these Observer profiles:

-Petty

-Earnhardt

-Johnson

(For some enjoyable reading -- and fantastic reporting -- check out Tom Wolfe's profile on Johnson from the 1965 issue of Esquire.)

NASCAR comes full circle

Most people know that NASCAR's history is rooted in "runnin' 'shine." There was a time when "drivers ran bootleg whiskey" from the mountains and the bootleggers "needed to distribute their illicit products, and they typically used small, fast vehicles to better evade the police," according to Wikipedia. "Many of the drivers would modify their cars for speed and handling, as well as increased cargo capacity, and some of them came to love the fast-paced driving down twisty mountain roads."

The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 dried up some of their business, but by then Southerners had developed a taste for moonshine, and a number of the drivers continued "runnin' shine," this time evading the "revenuers" who were attempting to tax their operations. The cars continued to improve, and by the late 1940s, races featuring these cars were being run for pride and profit. These races were popular entertainment in the rural Southern United States, and they are most closely associated with the Wilkes County region of North Carolina. Most races in those days were of modified cars. Street vehicles were lightened and reinforced.

Well, it looks like NASCAR has come full circle.

"Dean Combs, a former NASCAR driver and crew chief for the legendary Junior Johnson, has been charged with making moonshine," says ThatsRacin.com.

State agents and Wilkes County sheriff's deputies said they found a 300-gallon still in a shop building on property owned by Combs, 57. Acting on an anonymous tip, the still in a shop building behind a go-kart track near the North Wilkesboro Speedway.

He was charged with making non-tax paid liquor and possessing ingredients and equipment to manufacture non-tax paid liquor.

N.C. State Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement agents said about 1,150 gallons of corn mash was found. Agents also seized 200 gallons of corn liquor and 3,000 pounds of sugar.

"It was a very professional, clean operation...all stainless steel," N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Agent Shon Tally told the Journal Patriot newspaper.

Quick hits: Food accolades and fall goings-on

N.C. eateries honored
"... For the second year, the N.C. Department of Agriculture sponsored the 'Best Dish in NC' contest for restaurants that serve products from North Carolina farms, markets and companies," writes the News & Observer. "Last week, before the Paula Deen show at the N.C. State Fair, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and Deen handed out the awards to the winners. ..."

Welcome to fall in North Carolina
"Fall is the perfect time to visit North Carolina," says VisitNC.com. "Come for our brilliant fall foliage. Enjoy the refreshing outdoor climate and linger at a scenic overlook with breathtaking views along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Experience the abundant fall fishing at the coast or camp at one of our magnificent state parks.

"Enjoy our unique fall events, from woolly worm races to NASCAR . To help you plan your visit, catch the weekly reports from our leaf watchers across the state bringing you the latest updates on when our leaves are at their most spectacular. Discover unique ways to see the fall color, from a balloon adventure to a rafting trip on the Nantahala.

"The governor has proclaimed October as 'North Carolina Wine and Grape Appreciation Month' so relax and enjoy autumn with a plate of signature NC food and a glass of our delicious NC wine. ..."

Quick hits: 'The Rock' and the 'Road to Nowhere'

North Carolina Speedway changes hands

"Eight bidders paced the grassy infield of the North Carolina Speedway on Tuesday, staring one another down.


"They cast their eyes about, trying to guess who were the bosses with the bucks behind the strangers holding auction paddles.


"Locals flanked the mysterious investors, swapping hugs and arm pats as if a loved one had died. Rocky, the stray cat who settled at the speedway after birthing a half-dozen litters, had vanished; the track's superintendent said the change afoot scared her," writes the News & Observer.


"A bluegrass band played ballads, and auction company officials tried to shepherd bidders toward a barbecue buffet. But not much can distract a man ready to take a multimillion-dollar chance on resurrecting an old-fashioned speedway that turned homegrown racers into NASCAR superstars.


"It took 10 minutes to seal the fate of the 'The Rock,' dormant since its owner shifted its remaining NASCAR race to a glitzier venue near Fort Worth, Texas. This summer, Bruton Smith, a Charlotte billionaire who owns a collection of speedways, decided to sell the property at auction. ..."


Feds favor Swain payout in 'Road to Nowhere' case
"The federal government has recommended a financial settlement to Swain County in lieu of building the North Shore Road, sometimes called 'the Road to Nowhere,' through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park," writes the Asheville Citizen-Times.


"The National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration released their final environmental impact statement Tuesday, saying the settlement would ensure the resources of the park for future generations.



"Park spokesman Bob Miller said so far the government has spent $10 million on the issue.



"The environmental impact statement will become the government’s official decision 30 days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability in the Federal Register, which is expected in a few days. ..."



(Sign photo courtesy of Western NC Attractions.com)

Quick hits: Junior Johnson's running 'shine again; Seagrove potters feeling the pinch

Selling shine!
"Junior Johnson rode into Davidson County on Friday with moonshine in the trunk," writes the Lexington Dispatch.

"Some things never change.

"But this time the former whiskey runner and winning NASCAR driver and team owner was riding shotgun in a loaned late-model Mercedes instead of driving a souped-up 1939 or '40 Ford, and the liquor he was pedaling was legal.

"Johnson visited ABC stores in Lexington and Thomasville to promote Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon, a new product by Piedmont Distillers of Madison.

"'It's my dad's old recipe - we just refined it a little bit,' Johnson said, referring to the moonshine his father, Robert Glen Johnson Sr., made in the hills of Wilkes County. Unlike Midnight Moon, which is 80 proof, the original was 100 proof. ..."

Potters feeling the pinch
"In the beginning, there was just the clay, some of the best clay in America as far as potters are concerned," writes the Greensboro News & Record.

"For more than two centuries, this tiny settlement in southern Randolph County has been known for its pottery and the potters who produce it.

"Each year, thousands of tourists from North Carolina and beyond arrive to buy pottery, browse the shops that line the main street or view artisans at work during the town's fall Pottery Festival.

"It all puts money in the potters' pockets, and more than a few dollars fall to local government.

"But times are lean for Randolph County government, and the commissioners this year excised funds to help foster pottery events. ..."

Richard Petty: North Carolinian of the Year

The Associated Press reports that NASCAR legend Richard Petty has been named North Carolinian of the Year by the N.C. Press Association. Petty joins the likes of Billy Graham, Dean Smith and others in receiving the honor.

"Petty, 70, won a record 200 NASCAR Winston Cup races and seven Daytona 500 races," writes the AP. "He won 27 races in 1967 alone, 18 races in 1970 and 21 in 1971. Since 2000, no driver has won more than eight in a season. Only the late Dale Earnhardt matched Petty's seven NASCAR championships. ...

" 'I really appreciate this honor. I'm in there with a bunch of heavy hitters. Those are people North Carolina can be proud of,' Petty said.

"The award started in 1993 and is given to North Carolinians who bring honor and recognition to the state. Besides Graham and Smith, past winners also include Elizabeth Dole, now a senator, banjo-picker Earl Scruggs and Meadowlark Lemon of Harlem Globetrotters fame.

"Those receiving the award are first nominated by the association's sitting president, who this year is Deuce Niven, editor of the Tabor-Loris Tribune in Tabor City. ..."

Quick hits: NASCAR, new room at the zoo and no problem for N.C. vineyards

First look at NASCAR Hall of Fame
"Design architects for the NASCAR Hall of Fame made an updated presentation to the Charlotte City Council Monday night. It was a 3-D look at the Hall of Fame and our first look at some of the interactive exhibits inside," according to News 14 Carolina.

"In the design, it shows all around the Hall of Fame from Brevard Street coming around to the great plaza. In the front, a large television, fountain, walk of fame and garden were present.

"At night, lights will illuminate the sides of the facility including some lighting that can be programmed to simulate an actual live race.

"Inside the hall, a first look of the exhibits and how fans can interact with the sport and their heroes were shown. It starts with the full throttle theater which gets fans into the experience. ..."

More room to roam
"A growing exhibit at the North Carolina Zoo will bring Africa closer to home," according to the Greensboro News & Record.

"The zoo is working on an $8.5 million expansion that will add more elephants, rhinos and antelope to the newly renamed Watani Grasslands exhibit.

"The exhibit, parts of which already are open, will be ready for a grand opening next spring.

" 'The visitors are going to benefit from seeing larger herds of animals and different age groups,' said Guy Lichty, curator of mammals at the zoo. 'There should be a lot of action.' ..."

Despite Easter freeze, vineyards will harvest grapes in 2007
"When an extended freeze struck over Easter weekend, Davidson County vineyard owners feared they might lose everything.

"Fortunately, things didn't turn out quite that badly," according to the Lexington Dispatch.

"Owners say grape yields will be down, and they will have to watch closely over the next few years to see if any of their vines suffered permanent damage. But unless something worse occurs, there will be a harvest this fall, and the fruit that is picked will produce new wines.

" 'All in all, we made out pretty well,' said Mark Friszolowski, the winemaker at Childress Vineyards in Lexington. 'Financially, this will be just a speed bump for us.' ..."