Have a drive for car shows? Here’s one
their grandfather,” Ochoa said. “A lot of these vehicles, they are really family heirlooms.”
A passion for cars runs in the Ochoa family. Richard’s brother Danny Ochoa is the head carshow judge and a manager for Motorsport Showcase Events, and both of their families are involved with the shows.
Growing up, the brothers watched their dad restore cars.
Danny started out by tricking out his lowrider bicycle during his adolescence before moving on to cars when he got older.
For more than 30 years, he has owned a 1964 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport that he has customized with a leather and suede interior and an artist paint job with various shades of red.
He said customizing his vehicle is more than just a hobby.
“We call it our lifestyle. It is just a part of us,” Danny Ochoa said.
At the event, car enthusiasts can watch soupedup cars with different levels of hydraulics as part of the Car Hop Competition.
Vendors will sell custom car parts, audio and video equipment, antique accessories and automobile-focused clothing and memorabilia.
Along with everything custom and classic, the event will have an oldschool concert with live music from the ‘70s and ‘80s funk and R&B band the Gap Band Experience, soul singer and guitarist Aalon Butler, former El Chicano member Ersi Arvizu and her LA Band, original Los Kumbia Kings member DJ Kane, West Coast hip hop legends Rodney O and Joe Cooley and national champion dance crew the AZ Hype Hip Hop Squad.
Comedian Joey Medina and the Manic Hispanic from Mega 104.3-FM will emcee.
The event also presents the Lowrider Legend Legacy Tour Exhibit, highlighting Arizona’s lowrider culture, and the Boulevard Art Exhibit, a showcase of automobilefocused work including pinstriping, lettering, engraving and graphic artists from around the country.
Many artists have donated customized skateboards to be auctioned during the show. Proceeds provide financial assistance for students in need.
The event draws car owners from Arizona, Washington, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and California.
Danny Ochoa said that in recent years, car owners have been customizing older vehicles with modern touches such as fuel injection and disc brakes.
“The owners of the vehicles have really come a long way, and the sport has gone from backyard, garage-type vehicles to high-tech, super-intricate custom show pieces,” he said.
Vehicles are divided into more than 150 classes based on the decade in which they were made, the type of vehicle and the level of restoration or customization done.
The show also has categories for motorcycles, bicycles and pedal cars.
Judges will consider the body, paint, engine, hydraulics, interior and undercarriage.
Danny Ochoa said that when judging he tries to put personal preferences aside and focus on overall craftsmanship.
“The one thing we are looking for is the overall quality of the workmanship,” he said.