MOONEYES USA Xmas Party Report
Here are a few other video clips on YouTube of the XMAS Party 2009. Awesome!!
- Slide show posted by Blacktop Magazine
- Badazz Burnout/Donuts Sedan
- Wet 30-second clip
- Ms Lady Luck and Pin-ups
Below is a report by Goshu (MOONEYES JAPAN), originally posted in the Moon of Japan website, translated into English.
Hi! This is Goshu from MOON GARAGE.
My trip report this time is MOONEYES XMAS PARTY at TOYOTA Speedway in IRWINDALE, California. It was unbelievable weather for Southern California, as weather channel TV said more than heavy rain but storm and so it was pouring rain with gusty winds but to my surprise was even in this storm, in pitch dark at 4:30am, line of hot rods and customs, vendors and bikes were already there in front of the gate waiting for it to open.
More arrived topless, many were wiperless and even some without glass, which all cannot be an easy task in the dark, cold and wet from rain blowing sideways. It was like taking a hard core training program in Japan, but someone said very positive word “No overheat today!” True, that less overheat than last year as we saw them popping all over the place while waiting in line.
Even though storm weather was the forecast from the beginning of the week, on the day before at MOONEYES in Santa Fe Springs, so many calls were coming in asking, “Is the X-MAS Party on?”
We answered with, “Rain or Shine!” Everyone replied “OK!”. As in “we will go”, everyone wondered till last minutes for how it will turn out in this storm. Even though storm means no show up for swap meet and events, overwhelming number of 40 bikes, 600 cars and 20 more drag race car showed up hoping rain would clear up.
Meanwhile, inside the show space, old school drag race grand dads were chilling, sipping coffee, sitting on camping chairs set inside box trailer with small dragster. They were cool taking coffee in show space just like they probably do in home garage and even had their hands up and said “Hi !!”… Many more came on open trailers, 60s Gasser style NOVA, early MUSTANG, 68 CAMARO and so on, All youngsters without box trailers were packed under the Easy Ups (canopies) for BBQ!!! “Look at the pinstripes on this Nova, X-mas Party style!!!” Very nice! I felt all drag race guys were looking very forward to this day!
Into the vendor booth area at Hippy Killer Garage, Kutty & Jamie showed up with show bikes and items. I think people will talk about it. I was there! So many cars, people and vendors showed up in storming rain, got soaked to my knees and Pin-up Girls were great dancing in front of Bands playing. Vendors filled at least 8 rows, great turn out in heavy storm like this. The crew from Loser Machine, Aaron and Andrew from Salinas Boys, Matt & Dean from DicE Magazine, Sonny from Road Dog Customs, Dan Collins from Old Gold Garage, Keith Weesner, Max Grundy, Jack Rudy, Pizz, Tom Foster and more from Beatniks Car Club, Famous Fonzi with friends, More all time old school from SO-CAL Speed Shop with Pete Chapouris, Rat Fink Ed “BIG DADDY” Roth booth with Ilene Roth, Clay Smith, Gene Winfield and more. Pinstripers showed up from Japan with NASH, Mr.G, Ghost, Dirty K and MOONEYES Hiro “WILDMAN” Ishii, and of course more pinstriper from around US like famous Von Hot Rod, Jimmy C and much more, It was super whelming to see the extreme turnout for heavy storm from famous to locals.
Finally, the dark morning was lit in morning light, it was time to take pictures of cars and I looked around as wondering what to wear to walk out in rain and realized there were show bikes and show cars out in rain and it made no fear to walk out in rain as so many people were soaked! So I stepped out in rain with no rain gear, just to find more wet people riding motorcycle around and Pin-Up Girls posing in front of show cars and cameraman from US and various countries were taking photos. Even though it was still heavy storm, show space was heating up, then someone lit up the flame thrower and that Exhaust sounds begun to get louder and more thrower joined and there it was a who is the loudest contest for flame throwers, soon it turned to a burnout contests, STORKS CC, 2 SHOE BOX made big pillars of smoke and more smokes filled inside cars. My expectation for people might go home after lunch was not happening much, instead more people and cars showed up, I tried to count and I had up to 600 cars then realized more and more were coming while I was still counting. Oh well, it was impossible to know the exact number but as Mr. Pete Chapouris from SO-CAL said while I met him looking around in side show space, “Yeah, don’t worry you got enough cars in here to call it a great turn out for storm!”
Meanwhile, back to the stage was Hot Rod Trio and Dynotones, it was amazing to see how popular they are, filling up with people in front of stage tent and I took a look from drag strip stands which look like this!!
After great live music, it was turn for the art auction with Mr. Jack Rudy on MC. People bid in pouring rain and some unexpected high bids went to Ghost, Bikini Dolls and Wet Xmas Party Rat Fink conversion Fat Fink which Jack Rudy himself was drawing till just before the Auction.
And best comes last, famous Pin-up Girls Contest!!! The Best Pin-up Girl was chosen by all guys making noise and stage was surrounded by guys getting over excited in rain and best calls were too loud to tell the difference, vote was done twice to make the best Pin-up Girl, of course guys were happy to see Pin-up Girls do it twice. It was worse it coming in Storm and Rain!
So this year’s MOONEYES X-MAS Party was over with no accidents in the heavy rain storm.
Many true fans who showed up to take part in keeping the genuine car culture of Southern California. To show our gratitude to great support from all vendors, car show entrants and drag race entrants, we have decided to have make up for the WET X-MAS Party 2009 and have “MOONEYES SUMMER 2010″ on Sunday, 18 July 2010, from 9AM to 6PM at TOYOTA SPEEDWAY AT IRWINDALE. This Make up will be hosted during the open house season of summer and that will be just amazing number of people, cars and bikes. Please join us again in the summer!
Great occasion for that summer vacation to fly to LA!!!
Translated by Goshu
