UNC-TV will profile NASCAR legend Junior Johnson in a series of "Biographical Conversations" episodes that begin airing tonight.

Johnson, a Wilkesboro native with a larger-than-life history, is interviewed for the show by Shannon Vickery. Whether you're a fan of NASCAR or not, Johnson's personal story -- from moonshine runner to NASCAR mogul and back to the moonshine biz -- is pretty incredible. 

The first episode featuring Johnson airs tonight at 10 p.m. on UNC-TV. The next two episodes air on consecutive Thursdays at 10 p.m.: May 24 and May 31. In tonight's episode, Johnson talks about his childhood in Wilkes County, his moonshining career, and the beginning of his NASCAR driving career.

On May 24, Johnson talks about his time as a race car driver and being a team owner. The May 31 episode covers his success as a team owner, leaving NASCAR, his current family life and new business pursuits.

Photo by John D. Simmons of The Charlotte Observer

American Idol (8pm, Fox) - The judges reveal the remaining semifinalists. Several folks from NC are in the race right now.

Parks and Recreation (8:30pm, NBC) - Everyone forgets Jerry's birthday. To make up for it, Leslie throws him a post-birthday party at a special location. Meanwhile, Tom is surprised to learn that he and Ann have very different tastes in music.

Racing Dreams (10pm, UNC-TV) - A wonderful POV documentary that chronicles the experiences of three kids competing for the World Karting Association national title. Two of the kids are from North Carolina, including Brandon Warren (left). I don't even like racing and I loved this documentary. Read my full review of "Racing Dreams."

Private Practice (10pm, ABC) - Sam tries to care for his sister but her mental instability makes it very difficult. Also, Sheldon learns that Amelia has life-changing news, Cooper rejects Charlotte's suggestion to seek help with Erica's care, and Addison and Jake keep flirting.

Archer (10pm, FX) - Ray's younger brother is in trouble with a crooked sheriff in the West Virginia backwoods, and Archer must come to the rescue.

Red Bull Racing, which announced in June that it would withdraw from NASCAR at the end of the season, will shutter its operations in Mooresville in December and lay off 152 employees.

The company filed a notice this week with the N.C. Department of Commerce under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

The operations will close sometime between Dec. 17 and the end of the year.

Red Bull operated its Sprint Cup racing team different than many other teams.

Charlotte's Emily Maynard, a contestant on the current season of ABC's 'The Bachelor,' is speaking up about the NASCAR date to be shown on next week's episode ('The Bachelor' airs Monday nights at 8pm).

Emily, the former fiance of Ricky Hendrick, a NASCAR driver who died tragically along with 9 other people in a plane crash in 2006, was shown in previews attending a NASCAR-themed date with Brad Womack and a bunch of other women. The women were decked out in racing jumpsuits and Emily is seen behind the wheel of a stock car weeping (Note: On her first date with Womack, the producers had the couple take a small private plane to Napa Valley, and Emily admitted on the show to being very uncomfortable with that).

Quick, what was the number on that license plate?

I think it was 88 -- just like on Dale Junior's No. 88 National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet. 

Or maybe not. Cops and traffic cameras have a hard time deciphering the actual license numbers of some of North Carolina's colorful specialty license plates -- especially those rolling NASCAR billboards, which compound the confusion by adding a race-car driver's number, which is not part of the actual license number.

So Mike Robertson, the DMV commissioner, wants to get rid of the colors and convert these pretty and popular plates to the standard blue numerals on white background. (See today's story.) ... [MORE]

NASCAR Sr. Vice President Steve Phelps will appear on the upcoming season of the CBS reality show "Undercover Boss." Phelps is shown at left talking to race car driver Jimmie Johnson.

The NASCAR  headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, but we all know NASCAR's heart is in Concord, N.C.

The CBS show features company executives who go "undercover" and take on a variety of entry-level jobs within their company to find out what's really going on there. Sometimes they meet inspirational workers, sometimes they encounter tyrannical middle management, and sometimes they see glaring problems that need to be fixed. The episodes usually end with the executive rewarding a few underappreciated employees for their good work or ideas.

Winter Olympics (NBC) - Figure skating, snowboarding, speedskating, Alpine skiing. Check out the full schedule here.

American Idol (8pm, Fox) - The Hollywood round continues with more contestants trying to win a Top 24 spot. Two hours tonight.

RuPaul's Drag Race (9pm, VH1) -  RuPaul divides the ladies into teams to film a country-themed commercial directed by Kathy Najimy, who along with Tanya Tucker, serves as a judge.

24/7 Jimmie Johnson: The Race to Daytona (10pm, HBO) - The season finale of the NASCAR racer's reality show features Jimmie's performance in the 52nd Daytona 500.

See a gallery of the day's best photos from around the world.

Here's what happens when you mix NASCAR with higher education - a university professor drawing parallels between auto racing and medieval jousting.

Meet Karyn Rybacki of Northern Michigan University, who studies stock car racing as part of her gig as a professor of communications studies and public relations. 

She posits that NASCAR fans, who travel long distances to races, wear the same garb as the drivers, and are so crazy about their favorite racing personalities as to "knight" them, are essentially a modern-day equivalent of the folks in the middle ages who attended jousts.

"The more I dug into the history, the more I saw the parallels," Rybacki told the Wall Street Journal. "Instead of the horse, you have horsepower."

Wonder what a legend like the late Dale Earnhardt might think of all this? Well, Rybacki points out that one of Earnhardt's nicknames was "The Black Knight."

Hmm...coincidence?

Here's the story.

Finally, after all these years, a legitimate connection between the Hurricanes and NASCAR, which should be wonderful news for hundreds of lazy Canadian journalists and radio hosts.

Regan Smith, who the team reports is a "self-proclaimed Caniac," will wear a Hurricanes-themed helmet during Saturday's Bank of America 600 500 in Charlotte.