Blue Skies for X-mas Show & Drags

Like in years past, hours before sunrise, in front of the gates, over 1,400 hot rods, rat rods, customs, low-riders, vans and motorcycles began lining up along Live Oak Ave. The gates opened at 4:00 am for the 8th Annual Mooneyes X-Mas Show at Irwindale Raceway. Participants sat in their idling rides with their heaters on trying to stay warm from morning’s winter cold. More then 100 vendors were busy inside the venue making final assembly of their booths in preparation of displaying their cool car culture swag and hardware. As the participant gates were opened the Mooneyes X-Mas Party staff did a great job directing the 6,000-plus cars into the massive Irwindale Raceway parking lot where they were guided to their parking spaces. The Irwindale 1/8-mile drag strip was open for the 115 contestants to have side-by-side drag racing, including a Cacklefest. The trailered dragsters were quickly unloaded in the pits then directed to the tech inspection area.

Soon the cold December morning sunrise gave way to the sun and very blue skies greeted show goers, many of them dressed in their Christmas and lifestyle swag. The smell of, fresh carne asada and tri-tip being cooked on BBQ grills filled the early day air. The stage was set for another Mooneyes Christmas Party to begin with its Von Dutch/Big Daddy Roth renaissance flare. Imagination, creativity, ingenuity, attitude, and style were all there for the enjoyment of the thousands of enthusiasts.

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