“CRAFT OF SPEED” WINS A SILVER REMI AWARD FROM THE 57TH WORLDFEST-HOUSTON

Left to Right: Tuan Tran, Producer/Co-Director of Photography; Ming Lai, Director; Chico Kodama, President of Mooneyes USA / Day 1 of shooting at Mooneyes, Santa Fe Springs

We’re excited to announce that “Craft of Speed” has won a prestigious Silver Remi Award in the “Features - Documentary” category from the 57th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. Started in 1961, the WorldFest-Houston is the oldest independent film festival in the world. With so many film festivals all over the world, it’s very special to have such a long history of supporting independent film. The festival is known for recognizing emerging talent and has presented many renowned filmmakers with their first awards, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Robert Townsend, the Coen Brothers, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, and David Lynch. It's extremely tough to get selected by a film festival and even more so to win an award, especially from an older and more established festival. So this is an unexpected honor. Our deepest thanks to WorldFest-Houston; Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire Mooneyes family; our insightful interviewees; our talented and hardworking crew; our generous sponsors, donors, and supporters; and our loving families. 

To learn more about WorldFest-Houston:
https://www.worldfest.org/

To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com

FILMING TIME MACHINES—THE MOONEYES DRAGSTER & DOS PALMAS

To see the iconic Mooneyes Dragster on display at historic Mooneyes headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California or at popular Mooneyes events, like their New Year’s Party at Irwindale Raceway in Irwindale, California, is very special. It’s instantly recognizable with its Mooneyes logos and yellow paint. It looks fast even standing still, with its Dragmaster chassis and Moon Equipment Company speed parts. It’s not just a famous race car, but a literal time machine that takes you back to the heyday of hot rodding and drag racing. It was Dean Moon’s test bench for his innovative products. The original dragster is on exhibit at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing while the replica one lives at Mooneyes Santa Fe Springs. This faithful reproduction features a chassis built by Dorin “Dode” Martin of Dragmaster, the same company that built the chassis of the original dragster.

To see the Mooneyes Dragster run is even more special. We had the honor of filming and photographing it, driven by Mooneyes owner Shige Suganuma, along with the equally renowned Dos Palmas dragster, driven by hot rodder, journalist, and author Tony Thacker. This “test and tune” at the Irwindale Dragstrip was in preparation for the dragsters’ appearance at the upcoming Dragstalgia at Santa Pod Raceway, England, which will celebrate 60 years of U.K. drag racing. As Shige and Tony took turns running the dragsters, we were transported back in time to when Dean Moon and his driver Dante Duce drove the original dragster. We love seeing these beautiful race cars in museums and car shows, but we enjoy watching them run even more.

Thank you to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, Emi Suganuma, the Mooneyes crew, Tony Thacker, the Dos Palmas crew, and the Irwindale Dragstrip. Special thanks to Tuan Tran Video for their support.

To read Tony Thacker’s in-depth article on the Mooneyes Dragster and Dos Palmas:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/mooneyes-dos-palmas-gas-dragsters/

To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” Mooneyes Documentary:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/

“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS ON POWERTUBE TV’S “TALKING ABOUT CARS”

During the 74th Grand National Roadster Show, we were interviewed by Bob Beck and Randy Kerdoon on their popular PowerTube TV “Talking about Cars” podcast. Bob Beck is a respected builder, driver, race announcer, and podcaster. He’s the entertaining race announcer of the Mooneyes X-Mas Party and now the Mooneyes New Year’s Party Drag Races. Randy Kerdoon is an award-winning sportscaster and podcaster. He worked with renowned KNX News and KFWB News. Instead of a typical studio, their podcast was recorded at the amazing NHRA Museum, filled with famous race cars. In fact, mounted to the the wall above us was the record-setting Budweiser King Top Fuel Dragster, which was the first dragster to go more than 300 mph at the NHRA Gatornationals on March 20, 1982. Thank you to Bob Beck, Randy Kerdoon, producer Peggy Beck, PowerTube TV, and the NHRA Museum for this unique pleasure. Stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.

To watch the podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CovSpNN9gBU
(Our interview starts at 12:57 and ends at 30:38.)

To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com

“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS IN “HEMMINGS”

We’re very excited to be in Hemmings. Founded in 1954 by Ernest Hemmings, it’s a leading resource for car collectors. Whether you’re an aspiring car collector or you own a fleet of them, Hemmings fuels your passion with in-depth knowledge. We love their expertise in Dean Moon’s storied history, from helping Carroll Shelby build the first Shelby Cobra to serving as one of the founding members of SEMA (originally the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association and now the Specialty Equipment Market Association). We deeply appreciate Hemmings helping us to raise awareness about our fundraising and distribution efforts. Thank you to Tara Hurlin and Hemmings for their generous support! Stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.

To read the article:
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/new-mooneyes-documentary/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=EDaily&utm_campaign=2024-02-07&uemlid=92d85e924889d04529be84da70b325e846a3253860c848122954084bafd29ee1

To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com

“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS IN “CAR AND DRIVER”

We’re deeply honored to be in “Car and Driver,” one of the leading automotive publications in the world. We had the pleasure of being interviewed by Elana Scherr, Senior Editor/Features of “Car and Driver,” after she attended our Mooneyes Family & Friends Screening of “Craft of Speed.” We appreciate her extensive knowledge of hot rod history and Mooneyes. We love her in-depth coverage of the human story behind this iconic company, honoring Dean Moon, Shige Suganuma, and Chico Kodama. For many people, legendary publications like “Car and Driver,” which started in the hey day of hot rodding (founded in 1955), are the portals into the immersive world of car culture. So we’re very moved to be featured in it. Thank you to Elana Scherr and “Car and Driver” for this beautifully written article and Victor Carrillo of The ID Agency for his thoughtful introduction. Stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.

To read the article:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a46619090/mooneyes-documentary-hot-rodding-details/

To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com

CONGRATULATIONS TO CHICO KODAMA ON BEING INDUCTED INTO THE GRAND NATIONAL ROADSTER SHOW HALL OF FAME!

We had the honor of attending the 74th Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) Hall of Fame Dinner and watching Chico Kodama, President of Mooneyes USA, being inducted. About to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the GNRS is the longest running indoor car show in the world. 2023 Inductee and one of our esteemed interviewees, Dave Shuten, introduced Chico, sharing his story of moving to Los Angeles and meeting him for the first time. He talked about how nice he was and how he’s remained so after all these years of knowing him. Chico accepted the honor by saying how touched he feels when people thank him for helping to save Moon Equipment Company. As an incredibly humble person, he said the award should actually go to the owner of Mooneyes, Shige Suganuma. He also thanked his wife, Sandy, and his family for their love and support. We couldn’t be more proud of Chico, Shige, and the entire family of Mooneyes.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VISITED OUR BOOTH AT THE MOONEYES NEW YEAR’S PARTY!

Sergio Domingues of Street Legal Apparel, a Mooneyes dealer in Brazil

The long-running Mooneyes X-Mas Party, which has now become the Mooneyes New Year’s Party, is one of the best events to celebrate the new year. We deeply appreciate everyone who came by our booth and chatted with us about “Craft of Speed.” We enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, especially from abroad. We had the pleasure of hanging out with Morgan Gales of Bike Shed Moto Co., who were the wonderful hosts of our recent Mooneyes Family & Friends Screening, and Nick Tolosa of Makina Driver’s Club, who was inspired to start his own popular brand because of Mooneyes. We had the honor of meeting Sergio Domingues of Street Legal Apparel, a Mooneyes dealer in Brazil, and Matt and Noel of 76 Kustoms, custom motorcycle builders who hold the Bop N’ Roll Kustom Kulture Show in the Philippines. While we admire the wide range of vehicles at the event, we love meeting all the different people, united by their passion for car and motorcycle culture. Thank you so much to Mooneyes for allowing us to exhibit at their well-attended event. And thank you to AutoMoto Entertainment for partnering with us. Stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.

To learn more:
craftofspeed.com

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