All you need to con your way into a NASCAR race is a car, money and the guts of a snake wrangler. In 1982, a man named L.W. Wright showed up in Nashville trying to talk his way into Talladega. 

Read the series
Part 1:How L.W. Wright talked his way onto NASCAR's fastest track
Part 2:Could L.W. Wright drive as fast as he could talk?
Part 3: After getting a black flag, would LW Wright outrun the law?

 

All you need to con your way into a NASCAR race is a car, money and the guts of a snake wrangler. In 1982, a man named L.W. Wright showed up in Nashville trying to talk his way into Talladega.&nbsp;
Read the series
<ul>
<li>Part 1: <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nascar/2025/04/25/talladega-nascar-lw-wright-fastest-track/78386124007/">How L.W. Wright talked his way onto NASCAR's fastest track</a></li>
<li>Part 2: <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nascar/2025/05/02/lw-wright-and-talladega-could-he-drive-as-fast-as-he-could-talk/82708449007/">Could L.W. Wright drive as fast as he could talk?</a></li>
<li>Part 3: <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nascar/2025/05/09/nascar-talladega-lw-wright-police-arrest/82705058007/">After getting a black flag, would LW Wright outrun the law?</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

L.W. Wright is the greatest sports con man of all time. In 1982, he tried to talk his way into racing in an official NASCAR race on arguably the fastest and most dangerous track in America -- Talladega. In order to pull off the long con, he had to convince people in Middle Tennessee to give him money, a car, racing tires and even custom jackets for his pit crew. Then, he had to qualify by taking a car around the Talladega track at close to 200 miles per hour. When his con was done, his plan was to disappear. He tried to outrun the police, NASCAR officials and journalists for the rest of his life. His problem was, he just wasn't fast enough to get away clean. 

L.W. Wright is the greatest sports con man of all time. In 1982, he tried to talk his way into racing in an official NASCAR race on arguably the fastest and most dangerous track in America -- Talladega. In order to pull off the long con, he had to convince people in Middle Tennessee to give him money, a car, racing tires and even custom jackets for his pit crew. Then, he had to qualify by taking a car around the Talladega track at close to 200 miles per hour. When his con was done, his plan was to disappear. He tried to outrun the police, NASCAR officials and journalists for the rest of his life. His problem was, he just wasn't fast enough to get away clean.&nbsp;

The Long Talladega Con

"Murder on Music Row" is a podcast produced by The Tennessean, which is part of the USA Today Network. It is a deep-dive narrative that covers one case per season, and includes murder, music and nostalgia from police investigations in Nashville, TN.

Season 1 focused on the execution-style 1989 murder of Cash Box Magazine chart director Kevin Hughes. 

Season 2: "The Skull at the End of the Rainbow" focuses on the life and 1998 murder of Nashville icon David "Skull" Schulman, who owned and operated Skull's Rainbow Room for 50 years. 

For an exclusive, eight-part companion narrative series, become a Tennessean subscriber. For more from season 1, go to Tennessean.com/murderonmusicrow.

For season 2 extras, click here.

"Murder on Music Row" is a podcast produced by The Tennessean, which is part of the USA Today Network. It is a deep-dive narrative that covers one case per season, and includes murder, music and nostalgia from police investigations in Nashville, TN.
Season 1 focused on the execution-style 1989 murder of Cash Box Magazine chart director Kevin Hughes.&nbsp;
Season 2: "The Skull at the End of the Rainbow" focuses on the life and 1998 murder of Nashville icon David "Skull" Schulman, who owned and operated Skull's Rainbow Room for 50 years.&nbsp;
For an exclusive, eight-part companion narrative series, become a Tennessean subscriber. For more from season 1, go to <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2024/05/21/murder-on-music-row-nashville-kevin-hughes-podcast/72898249007/">Tennessean.com/murderonmusicrow</a>.
For season 2 extras, <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2025/10/07/nashville-skull-rainbow-room-skull-schulman-murder/83275964007/">click here</a>.

Murder on Music Row from The Tennessean

This deep-dive, 8-part true-crime podcast is investigated and written by Tennessean reporter Keith Sharon. It focuses on the 1989 murder of country music chart director Kevin Hughes, who tried to operate with integrity in a business full of sharks and criminals. The podcast features never-before published reporting of details of the crime that not only defines Nashville of the 1980s and 1990s, but also shines light on a singer and one-time suspect who has demanded an apology from a detective who refuses to give him one.

Episode 1 is available now. Episodes 2-8 debut exclusively for Tennessean subscribers. For more, go to Tennessean.com/murderonmusicrow.

This deep-dive, 8-part true-crime podcast is investigated and written by Tennessean reporter Keith Sharon. It focuses on the 1989 murder of country music chart director Kevin Hughes, who tried to operate with integrity in a business full of sharks and criminals. The podcast features never-before published reporting of details of the crime that not only defines Nashville of the 1980s and 1990s, but also shines light on a singer and one-time suspect who has demanded an apology from a detective who refuses to give him one.
Episode 1 is available now. Episodes 2-8 debut exclusively for Tennessean subscribers. For more, go to Tennessean.com/murderonmusicrow.

Murder on Music Row

The Long Talladega Con Part 1

As the investigation into the murder of David "Skull" Schulman began to focus on one suspect, a Nashville detective flew to California to interview a teenager who had been arrested in San Francisco on drug charges. Could this be the guy they were looking for? The new suspect said he didn't do it, and there was no physical evidence connecting him to the crime scene.

As the investigation into the murder of David "Skull" Schulman began to focus on one suspect, a Nashville detective flew to California to interview a teenager who had been arrested in San Francisco on drug charges. Could this be the guy they were looking for? The new suspect said he didn't do it, and there was no physical evidence connecting him to the crime scene.

Episode 7: You Got the Wrong Man

All roads led to Lincoln, Nebraska. A detective made the trip to Nebraska to find a new witness to the David "Skull" Schulman murder. This person may have been inside the Rainbow Room when Skull was attacked. The problem was that the detective found the witness in a mental institution.

All roads led to Lincoln, Nebraska. A detective made the trip to Nebraska to find a new witness to the David "Skull" Schulman murder. This person may have been inside the Rainbow Room when Skull was attacked. The problem was that the detective found the witness in a mental institution.

Episode 6: Nebraska

As the police investigation into the murder of David "Skull" Schulman stalled out, the lead investigator on the case ran into serious personal difficulty. A new investigator emerged, and he was a legendary Nashville detective. All of a sudden, witnesses came forward and took the case in a different direction.

As the police investigation into the murder of David "Skull" Schulman stalled out, the lead investigator on the case ran into serious personal difficulty. A new investigator emerged, and he was a legendary Nashville detective. All of a sudden, witnesses came forward and took the case in a different direction.

The Long Talladega Con Part 1

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