Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Mooneyes Celebrates 60 Years as Eye-con With Exhibit at NHRA Museum

We were lucky enough to be invited to the opening of the Mooneyes exhibit at the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California. The exhibit opened on January 27, 2012. With a room full of industry honchos and a handful of the guys that made hot rodding, Bonneville and drag racing what it is today, it was quite the event. 

A few notables in the crowd were; Ed Iskenderian, Jim Dunn and Pete Chaporis. Brad Fanshaw's cast mate from Car Warrior's 2, Jimmy Shine was also in attendance.



It should be noted, without the Mooneyes owner; Shige Suganuma and the President, Chico Kodama's aquisition of Moon in the early 1990's it may no longer exist.



The display at the NHRA Museum is an retrospective of Dean Moon's legacy. It is complete with race cars, motorcycles and memorabilia. The cars on display include the Moon streamliner, the Moon dragster and much more.




In 1996 bonspeed (Then Bonneville Sports) was loaned the Moon streamliner for a photo shoot at the dry lakes. The car was photographed for our clothing and garage gear catalog. Modified with the Bonneville trademark Orange color and our Circle "B" logo many thought we had built a sister car. Other called thinking we had painted the famous Moon racer.
The Mooneyes dragster sits among other racers at the NHRA Museum.  The exhibit is open now and until Fall of 2012 at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, 1101 W. McKinley Ave, Building 3A, Pomona, California, 91768





bonspeed Brad Fanshaw with the two guys who have kept the legacy of Dean Moon and the Mooneyes brand alive.  Brad has been friends with them since the time they purchased Mooneyes in the early 1990's. 

Shige Suganuma, Mooneyes Owner (LEFT) and Chico Kodama, President (RIGHT).

 



The Mooneyes exhibit is worth the trip to Pomona and reliving the history of Dean Moon and what he did for hot rodding and racing is amazing.








No comments: