Your humble scribe has been to his share of events, but good grief, the Mustang Week Texas Cruise-In at Moody Gardens was shockingly big. Coming off a successful day at the drag strip, everyone seemed positive about what was to come – but I was shocked. As you enter the facility, the two lots on the right with the dyno are decently sized but kind of modest…turn the corner and there’s a large area for food…OK, cool. Then you go around the corner up the walkway, and boom – the main show and activation area basically swallows you whole. If your experience with Mustang Week is only Myrtle Beach or what you’ve seen in photos, then I feel sorry for you. And I really hope this is just a precursor for what we’ll see in Charlotte in August.
Imagine multiplying the Myrtle Beach cruise-in by two, adding a Cobra Sam burnout competition, RTR and a handful of friends drifting, and then adding fireworks, pro burnout testing, and a video board with a drone to capture everything. And that’s just Friday. Mustang Week Texas has developed its own character and legacy where deep experiences are had, including a proposal live in front of an audience and shot on the video board. This year has continued to show the potential of this event for Mustang enthusiasts.
Cruising On In
The Cruise-In, presented by LMR, officially kicked off at noon at Moody Gardens Resort in Galveston, Texas. What separates it from the Saturday Car Show is that there is no “official judging” and it’s open to all Fords. However, there were some Vendor’s Choice awards that were given and presented in the activation area (aka the burnout pad) including to a low-mile, pristine 1993 Cobra in Vibrant Red. Nearly every factory (and non-factory) color of Mustang could be found in the Cruise-In, including “Urban Bamboozle” on Vaughn Gitten Jr’s Mustang RTR Spec 5. There were also new F-150s, Lightnings, and even a Bronco.
What really caught my eye was the 1993 Fox Body coupe of Raul Aranda. I do love Fox coupes, but the part that caught my eye was the LSX logo where the blue oval should be… I know what you are thinking, but with the hood up, it was obvious this was not an LS swap. The ‘93 coupe started life as a V8 auto, and Aranda bought it as a roller. It had previously had an LS in it, but the previous owner removed this shameful choice from the equation before selling it as a roller. Aranda bought a stock ‘93 engine and convinced himself that in doing so, he would keep it stock. That only lasted a few months. A friend had an E cam, and another friend had a blower…and the rest is history. For the most part, the car is period correct, including the 5-speed swap, which was done using the correct hole and metal for the shifter. He even kept the old radio and CD player. The one departure is a set of Advan 18×8.5, 18×9.5 wheels but he says he may swap those for a set of Saleen wheels. He may swap the emblem, too, while he’s at it. “I forgot that was on there until someone said something about it yesterday.”
Spinning the Rollers
The Mustang Week Texas Dyno Challenge, presented by Tuner School, was active all afternoon. The folks at VMP strapped cars down on their mobile dyno for a few pulls, lickety split, but took care to shut down a run if something looked or sounded fishy. Paige Davies’ turbo 2009 Mustang looked like it was poised to win the challenge after clicking off a 5.94 at the drag strip yesterday. Michael Davis in his “Elsa” 2025 Mustang was another drag racing competitor looking to see how he fared on the dyno. With $500 up for grabs for the highest-powered Power Adder and All Motor car, there were bound to be some takers.
Monster Energy Zone
The activation area saw constant action all day long, starting wtih drifting ride alongs and demonstrations as well as a full-on drifting battle that was judged by Vaugn Gitten Jr and Ben Hobson. The drifting competitors were split into tandems and the judges decided who hit their line and maximized angle. Among all the pairs, there seemed to be a clear winner, who had one of the most modest combos – basically a bolt-on three-valve S197. Diego Sandoval impressed the pro drivers and the crowd, and earned a chance to go against Ben Hobson in a final battle. With only three years of experience, Sandoval really proved himself even if he didn’t quite have the horsepower to keep up with Hobson in the finale – though the crowd loved his effort. Vaughn Gitten Jr got revenge for him, squaring off against Hobson in one last duel.
The night was capped off with Pro Burnout testing and the Street Burnout Competition, hosted by Cobra Sam and presented by Summit Racing. There were fireworks, sparks, full flames, and plenty of tire smoke. After an early exit from the Spectator Drag yesterday, Jeremy Jarrett got divine retribution in his Rattlebox Fab “shorty” F-350 in the Street Burnout Competition, taking the overall win. Though there were plenty of other entries, including the just-unveiled, one-of-one MAZ S650 wide-body, the F350 was an easy favorite.
Preview of the Finale
The Smoke Show, presented by Summit Racing, gave us an early taste of what is to come tomorrow during Mustang Mayhem. The Pro Burnout Competition test session wrapped up the night and the All-Ford Cruise-In, as exhaust pipes spat alcohol-fueled flames and tires were obliterated to nothing – spinning steel wheels until sparks flew (and then just a little more for good measure). It’s a show-stopper. Between the video board, DJ, and fireworks…there’s so much going on. I think my brain might explode tomorrow, but I’m game. Next stop, the Car Show – the main event.
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