An Independent Perspective of Attending the AmericanMuscle Mustang Show

The American Muscle Mustang Car Show is a daylong event in Maple Grove Pennsylvania, at the Maple Grove Raceway. This is a place where die hard mustang enthusiasts gather to show off their cars, attend events, meet prestige vendors, compete in the car show, and race on the track at the end of the day. Before meeting in Maple Grove, there is a mustang cruise in the morning that consists of many meeting locations at rest stops along the cruise route. The closest to us was in Trenton New Jersey in which we had planned to go.

Zachary, my fiancé, and I’s day started around 5:30 am on a warm and foggy August morning. Shortly after waking up and skipping breakfast, we were in his 1991 Fox body mustang making our way to the Stockton rest stop in Trenton. The streets were practically clear other than a few cars making their way to work, all while fog blurred our vision. Along the way, we missed a couple of exits, putting us far behind schedule. But upon arriving to the first destination location at the Stockton rest stop, we were not surprised to see that no one was there because we were about forty-five minutes behind.

After filling the tank at the Stockton rest stop, we started making our way to the second location at the Days Inn in Maple Grove Pennsylvania. About twenty minutes into the drive, we started seeing some fellow mustangs. There were all years, models, colors, and conditions heading in the same direction as us. Some were on trailers, while others were on the road. A mustang pulled up to the side of ours, and we knew it was time to race. With an open stretch in the highway in front of us, Zach glanced at the other driver and dropped to the next gear. The passenger in the race red mustang challenging us, was hanging out the window with a Gopro filming the ordeal. The race was heated until Zach dropped it into fifth gear, launching us in front of them. We slowed down as we approached the oncoming traffic, and our opponent gave us a thumbs up and a smile. We raced mustang after mustang, filmed on Gopro after Gopro, weaving through traffic, testing and challenging everyone’s horse power. It was an invigorating ride, and I had never seen Zach smile so much.

Once we arrived at the Days Inn, the second location, we met up with about a thousand mustangs in an outrageously long line. Looking over the hill in which the line stretched over, we saw that the hotel parking lot was quickly filling with mustangs ranging from mint to great condition with a huge mix of different years and models. For fun, and to make time go by quicker, we were having engine revving challenges to see who had the loudest engine. Even though the line was ludicrously long, the wait was not. Everyone was parking in a single file arrangement. This way, it was hassle free parking.

Once we were parked, we got out of the vehicle and started walking around, looking at all the other mustangs. About 90 percent of the parked mustangs had their hoods up and open so the people passing by could take a look to see what their car was made of. A common activity at this location, other than admiring what was under the hood, was quick waxing one’s car. Everyone had quick wax on them, polishing their cars, adding that extra shine. People were taking pictures in front of cars that they admired the most, and asking car owners questions about superchargers and torque. We spent about two hours at the second location, having a blast.

The crowd at this location contained a huge variety of people. There were blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians, Indians, everyone. But, the majority were men in their twenties to their forties. Some women and children were there, but it was a very small percentage when compared to men. This could be because men are typically known for having car obsessions, especially muscle car obsessions. The older mustang enthusiasts mostly had the older or restored mustangs, where as the younger guys had the newer or brand new 2015 mustangs. I noticed there was generations of families here. The grandfathers had their older model; fathers with the 1990-2000 models, and their sons with the 2000-2015 models. Mustang organizations were there in matching t-shirts that sponsored their organization’s name. No one economic class dominated the other. The individuals with more money had the old restored mustangs, as well as the brand new ones. The middle class had mustangs of all years and models. Where as, the lower class individuals also had mustangs of all years and models as well, but the condition of their car was not as pleasing to the eye as most of the others.

After spending about two hours at the Days Inn, we hopped in the car and made our way towards the third and final location of the cruise. At this point, we were in Maple Grove Pennsylvania where the area is mostly farm lands. The roads were narrow winding roads out in the middle of no where. There was very little shops or places to go other than residential houses along the last part of the cruise. Looking behind us, the line of cars was bumper to bumper traffic from the Days Inn to the raceway. Some patches in the line were color coordinated. The race red mustangs were back to back in some spots stretching forty cars long, and then one car to break the barrier only for it to start over again. And in other spots, pacific blue and oxford white mustangs dominated the line. But once again, as a past time, revving contests within the line were prevalent. The wait to get into the raceway was about an hour itself. The temperature outside was increasing drastically, and without shade in the line and the heat from the engine rising into the cabin, the sun and heat was unbearable.

Upon arriving at the track, the clock struck nine am and we were once again faced with lines. This time there was two lanes at the entrance of the raceway. Four people were working the gates checking tickets, registration, and answering questions. Even though everyone, so far, has been sitting in line, everyone has been extremely patient. Not one single person had gotten upset from the waits. Everyone was just so excited and eager that the line did not matter.

As we passed through the gates of the raceway, we followed a dirt road that took us to a field to park. The actual parking lot at the raceway was reserved for exclusive American Muscle members, therefor Zach and I, along with the other three thousand mustangs, had to park in an enormous grass field next to a corn field. Similarly to the Days Inn, everyone parked in a single file line, for there was no real competition for good parking because there was none. Once parked and settled, literally everyone started quick waxing their car, opened their hoods, and washed off the dirt from the short ride from the Days Inn to the Maple Grove raceway. Numerous people set up gazebos around their car so both them and their car could be in the shade.

Shortly after Zach finished quick waxing his mustang, we started walking to the main attraction center in the middle of the race way. Along the edge of the huge field in which we parked, there were food vendors. They served Asian food, Mexican, American foods, pretty much everything you could have asked for. They probably served such a large variety of food because there was such a bend of cultures that attended this event. But moving past the vendors, we approached a large tent that we had to sign in at. After signing in, we received a “swag bag” which was an orange gym bag filled with bumper stickers, pens, lanyards, sunglasses, ect. The bag was pretty much just filled with advertisements from prestige venders that attended the event, such as Ford (of course), Forgestar, BBK, Eibach, MBRP inc, BAMA performance, MMD (Modern Muscle Design), ect. Also, within the sign in tent, was a store with discounted mustang parts. This store was mobbed with people; one could barely turn around without bumping into someone. Every part that was for sale was color coded by year. Even though the store was mobbed, there was no fighting over parts, like one would see on black Friday. Everyone had respect for each other. There was such a strong unity that I had never seen in people before. This event was just a great gathering and bond of people with a common love for mustangs.

After grazing through the mobbed discount store, not buying anything, we decided to take a look to see what some of the prestige mustang venders had to offer. There was about thirty of these vendors there in rows under gazebos and tents. Some vendors along the sides of the pavement were in trailers; most of these sold rims, probably to keep the sun from reflecting off them and blinding the customer. The Modern Mustang Design vendor had three 2015 mustangs out in front of their tent. These cars were gorgeous with customized paint jobs, rims, and superchargers. Since it was still around nine am, not many people were walking around the vendors with us, for they must have still been parking, quick waxing their cars, and getting settled in.

Since it was still so early, I finally got my breakfast and we walked back to our car in the field. At this point, the field was almost filled with mustangs. I noticed that most of the mustangs of the same color parked together. For example, there was three back to back rows of race red mustangs, and each row had about thirty-five cars. Then there would be about half a mixed row, and then two and a half rows of blue mustangs. Zach and I thought it was funny, but then I thought to myself, maybe they are in a gang or organization. Or, maybe they knew each other, but I doubt it was at random. I noticed that only colors parked together, not years and models. Within those three rows of thirty-five red cars, there was a mix of years and models such as Shelbys, Cobras, and Foxbodies.

Around twelve o’clock, some events began. There were three DYNO events, a revving event, and two charity events for the Make a Wish Foundation, and an overall by year mustang competition where judges scored the crowds mustangs. By the end of the day, we raised five thousand dollars for the Make a Wish Foundation. At each event, hundreds of people gathered around. Zach and I, got good spots to see because we showed up so early to the event location.

Looking back at the crowd, I saw mostly what I saw at the Days Inn. The majority of the crowd were men in the twenties-forties of all ethnic groups. But at this location, there were more women but not children. Everyone was dressed in causal summer clothing: shorts, t-shirts, sunglasses, and tank tops. I could not differentiate between economic classes because everyone looked the same without their mustang next to them.

Around five pm, towards the end of the event, we all got to do what we were all waiting for; racing on the track. Every condition and year were racing each other. Since only one person could be in the car while on the track, I sat in the bleachers and watched Zachary race, for he had been the one dying to do it all day. I watched closely to a thousand cars race each other. I remember vividly, one orange mustang blowing out its transmission halfway down the track. I felt so bad for the guy because that was his ride home and he lived all the way in South Carolina. I watched a couple mustangs do the same as the one orange one, but the employees at the track were sympathetic and tried their hardest to help them out. Zach got to go three times, he lost all three time because his tires kept slipping, but he still had the biggest grin on his face.

The American Muscle Mustang Show was an amazing experience that I cannot wait to encounter again. Never have I seen such a unity of people. For the first time ever, I had lived a day where racism and discrimination did not exist. Instead, I saw a bond between cultures and people over a common obsession of muscle cars. There was a total of 3,862 mustangs, and an undefined amount of people; a truly remarkable gathering of people.