"My life is consumed by rice. Soy sauce, rice on the street, rice in the truck for food," says Peterson, describing his lifestyle and intimate connection with the food and the car communities. "Chinese food by day and cars by night."
So what is Mayday Garage Ricer Wednesday? It's a meeting of minds in Houston's Montrose area focused on wrenching, photographing, and driving Japanese cars to preserve the golden age of the mid to late 1990s.
Peterson's Rice-style lifestyle isn't just conveyed through the word "rice" (an oriental import car modified for no real performance gain); he uses the Mayday Garage Ricer on Wednesday to benefit his food truck. There's a connection between the crowds in more than just the name. Food truck culture and ricer culture revolve around community support and enjoyment of a culture that's not for everyone, but that almost anyone can enjoy.
Yet the joy Peterson and company find in promoting the import tuner lifestyle is real. His eyes light up as he talks about the vehicles (including the lowrider) and the growing number of high-quality cars.
Peterson's plan? Simple: "Just keep plugging away, selling Chinese food and racing cars."
He's not alone, either. Peterson's patrons and fellow enthusiasts continue to grow, signaling a bright future for the import car scene and those who drive them.
