In 1983, with the support and confidence of his wife, Teresa, Richard and Society C.C. produced the first Lowrider car show at the Mesa Community Center. The show's small budget was solely financed by Richard, and was not financially successful in its initial years. However, Richard, as a true visionary, could see the potential benefits that the event could bring to the club and the community. With his perseverance, he educated club members in the various aspects of the show, including the judging. In fact, a majority of the Lowrider Magazine Tour judging staff, which includes senior judge Richard, are products of that initial Mesa Show training. In the show's fourth year, his persistence prevailed, as the event showed a profit for the first time, and Richard unselfishly knew that it would benefit everyone. He decided "it was time to give back," something his club has done generously countless times over the years. In all, Society Car Club has donated over $40,000.00 to local scholarships and non-profit organizations. "It was satisfying to see all our hard work pay-off in presenting a show that would benefit the community," he says of the initial profit turn. Though under his guidance, he is quick to point out that Society members' hard work would not be overlooked. "The Mesa show's success allowed the club to operate as a self sufficient organization. It wasn't a bad gig as members had the ease of traveling to car shows, with travel expenses and professional auto transporting of the show cars to be paid directly by the club account," he remarks. Paying their own way to the local show was a sure thing, but it didn't stop there. Richard also adds that "this concept took the Society families to lowrider show destinations throughout the southwest." In 2002, Society C.C., with Lowrider Events, co-produced its last show, the Phoenix Supershow. In its 20 years, under the leadership of Richard, the annual show prospered into one of the largest and popular lowrider events in the country.
Though, his primary focus is no longer the annual show, Richard continues to be very active in the lowrider community. In 2004, he promoted the first Arizona Lowrider Arte Symposium. Held at the Mesa Southwest Museum, the successful event displayed the works of Chicano artists and the "lowered" automotive art form. It also presented an open dialogue forum regarding our culture, heritage, and the influence of lowriding in today's communities. Recently, Richard has co-founded MotorSport Showcase, with the goal of the company being to continue promoting the lowrider sport on a larger scale. One of his first projects was coordinating the 2008 Lowrider Art Gallery at the Mesa Art Center. The exhibit featured works by renowned lowrider and tattoo artists, as well as a show area displaying Arizona's finest rides. The event was a success and gained national media attention, including that of the Phoenix Art Museum. Throughout the summer of 2009, the Phoenix Museum and MotorSport Showcase, under the direction of Richard, displayed a Chicano art exhibit, which included lowriders, and provided public education on the history and future of the Lowrider.
Through the countless volunteer hours on community issues, and his tireless promotion of car shows, fiestas, concerts, car club picnics, and charity fundraisers, Richard has incorporated an educational format focused on the history of this automotive culture. Also, as an ambassador of the sport, Richard has fought to remove the negatively stereotyped stigma of decades past in his promotion of lowriding. His goal is to achieve a more positive view of the culture within mainstream America and the media. Remaining humble, Richard sincerely states, "I could not have done any of this without the support of my wife, Teresa, my family, and my Society carnales."
In 2004, Richard co-chartered the official Lowrider Hall of Fame and has presided on the Executive Committee since its inception. This is where it gets tricky; for those of you that know Richard, know that he wears humility on his sleeve. As an executive member, he was content with his position, and has declined prior nominations by fellow members. However, this year, with the numerous unanimous nominations and recommendations being written in, as well as hundreds of heartfelt "it's long overdue" and "he's well- deserving" sentiments from the lowrider community, this humble man from the desert accepted his place in history as the 2009 LHoF Lifetime Contributor honoree. Paz!
By Danny Ochoa
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