Dean Moon (May 1, 1927 - June 4, 1987), grew up in Norwalk, California. Moon was around cars and racing from his youth as hIs father owned "Moon Cafe" with a go-kart track he called "Moonza", a pun on Monza. He was involved in dry lake hot-rodding in that late 1940's. He founded MOON Speed Equipment business (c.1950) and worked to improve the quality and safety of speed and racing products his entire life.