Hot Import Nights 2019
Words by #SiQNSW Representative Allison Quinn
Images by Loli Azuelo and Samantha Reinke
Wow! Where do I begin?!
The calm before the storm:
Friday night was full of Street Ignition Queens' preparations. Ensuring everything was packed and in the car ready for an action packed Saturday. Sending frantic messages to Loli to double check and triple check all the information I needed to know to ensure the day ran smoothly. Samantha and I ran through Woolies and grabbed all the snacks we could to give us a sugar high and last the day!
It was certainly an anxious sleep, knowing I had to be up in 5 hours, however the Maccas run on the way made up for the lack of sleep! Double shot Cappuccino down and we were on our way!
Cruising through Sydney Olympic Park, we got a feel for the types of rides that would be on show.
Pulling up to the bump-in line, we waited to enter the Showground venue.
Waiting. Waiting. Pumped the tunes, got in the mood and before we knew it, the gates to heaven opened up.
Wow. I was shocked. The hall was chaotic. People running around in high vis, cars straightening up, last minute detailing, tents being erected. We were in for a good day!
We rolled up to our spot, jumped out of the car in anticipation and began setting up our awesome SiQ maquee. Sammy and I took a while to work it out, but we finally got there (kudos to you Loli, it's not easy on your own). Set up, ready to go we sit patiently (with more coffee) waiting to meet our new #SiQueens. My eyes gazed left, right, left, right. I couldn't believe the quality of cars around me. The vibe in the hall was out of this world. Car enthusiasts sporting their community's merch, chatting and laughing and all round having a great time. Sammy and I were loving representing SiQ in our new merch - Get onto it ladies, these hoodies are amazingly comfy!
Oh! We have visitors, Rox (Phonix Photography) and Indy! How exciting that they've come to pick up their official ViQ membership Welcome Kits. We caught up and took some snaps. We met so many amazing ladies, many of which commended us for being such an amazing community and a safe space for ladies in the car community. I was overwhelmed with a massive sense of pride and couldn't keep the smile off my face.
In a rush to get our 3rd caffeine hit of the day, I sent Sam to check out the food trucks and suss out where to purchase liquid gold from. With two large red bulls in hand, we were set for greatness. Our fearless leader Loli popped out of the crowd with her Mum and two beautiful children in check. Brief run down of the morning was needed followed by a catch up and a whole lot of "omg you need to see the car over there".
Sammy and I left Loli in charge while we grabbed some pizza for lunch. Bumped into Rox and Indy again who were sipping on their chai lattes. The ladies gave us a heads up and a list of things to see and do inside. Conversation ended quickly as we almost got drenched by a freak storm which saw us bolting inside to shelter. The second we got inside all I could see was our SiQ marquee which stood out, despite all the amazing shiny cars surrounding it.
Roaming around, I was dumbfounded at the quality of cars and bikes surrounding me. HIN has definitely killed the game this time around. I stumbled past a few exhibitors, checking out what they have to offer. Then I saw it, 4 tables full of diecast vehicles. Safe to say I spent alot of time trawling through all of them, not wanting to miss any with Sam attempting to pull me away insisting I didn't need anymore lol!
Checking up on Loli and telling her about all the exciting things we have seen we urged her to make her way around. Off she trots with camera in hand to capture the vibrant scenes of HIN19. Loli was on a mission to meet new automotive ladies and was in luck when Maria Mai walked to her Toyota 86 which was displayed next to us who will now be featured in Street Ignition Queen's upcoming #SiQlife Journal entries for 2020 which delves into the lives of our very own #SiQueens, so definitely keep an eye out for that!
Our lack of sleep finally caught up and Sammy and I decided to call it quits. We said our goodbyes, SiQ Merch in hand and headed to the car. We were sad to leave but we knew next year would be bigger and better - Thanks so much to Hot Import Nights team for having us! Overall, the day was full of ups and downs. Meeting new ladies, surviving on caffeine, laughing hysterically, having a nap and reminiscing on our struggle to set up a tent. Would I do it again? Absolutely!
Until next time, Allison x
