Dr. Dan Pierce

UNC Asheville Associate Professor of History Dan Pierce is out to set the record straight. An expert in Appalachian and NASCAR history, Pierce is among a number of experts interviewed in "Hillbilly: The Real Story," a History Channel documentary. "Hillbilly" premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23.

Hosted by actor and native Appalachian Billy Ray Cyrus, this two-hour special brings America's southern mountain people to life and reveals their pivotal but little known role in forming the nation. "Hillbilly" takes the viewer on a 300-year journey from the violent border wars of the Scottish lowlands to the rough and tumble stock cars races of the 1950s.

Pierce is interviewed in two segments, which were filmed at the Sourwood Inn in Asheville. One segment looks at the Fabulous Flocks, three outlaw bootlegging brothers who went on to pioneer modern stock car racing. He also provided context and background on the history of moonshining for the segment on legendary Western North Carolina moonshiner Popcorn Sutton.

Pierce didn't know that the documentary would be named "Hillbilly: The Real Story" when the interview took place late last year. However, he doesn't take offense.

"One of the most endearing qualities of the people of this region is that we're not too touchy about things like that," he said. "One of our greatest strengths is that we can laugh along with the stereotypes and then turn them to our own benefit. The Mountaineer Hotel on Tunnel Road in Asheville, Gatlinburg and Maggie Valley are great examples of this unique Appalachian trait."

Pierce, an Asheville native, holds a doctorate in history from the University of Tennessee. He is the author of "The Great Smokies: From Natural Habitat to National Park," which was the inaugural selection for Tennessee Reads, a book club featuring titles from the University of Tennessee Press. A noted NASCAR historian, Pierce has written widely on the topic, including encyclopedia articles and an entry on "The Most Southern Sport on Earth: NASCAR and the Unions" for the Journal of Southern Culture. He is currently at work on a book which focuses on the Piedmont working class roots of NASCAR.