By: | June 25, 2025 | | Middletown
by Emma Sylvia
From meetups to races to the lyrics of many a Bruce Springsteen song, car culture seems to go hand in hand with the vibe at the Jersey Shore. Breezing down Ocean Avenue with the wind in your hair, it’s easy to see how people in Monmouth County can develop a passion for cars, and that’s exactly what happened with James Keeley, a Lincroft local who recently put on Middletown High School South’s first ever car show.
Keeley was born and raised in Lincroft, going through the Middletown public school system throughout his life. In his freshman year of high school, he got involved in the auto community.
“At Middletown, there’s a car club called Scripted,” Keeley explains. “They threw together a car meet my freshman year, and that was the moment that really sparked my interest.”
Monmouth residents are likely familiar with the frequent car shows that appear across the county. Car meets are typically more of a casual event, where people can see cars up close that they might not regularly encounter, while car shows tend to have music, food, and sometimes a charged fee that typically goes to a charity of some kind. Keeley, when inspired to make his own car show, knew that the money would go to a good cause.
“A fellow student of mine was also interested in doing the car show. His little sister has Type 1 Diabetes, so he suggested Breakthrough T1D, which helps kids with diabetes,” Keeley explains. “Since I got involved in cars, I’ve wanted to put together my own show – why not put it toward something good?”
Keeley collaborated with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club at Middletown High School South, and the club’s teacher, Mr. Riverso, in order to create his first ever car show. With the club, as well as the help of fellow students Brianna O’Shea and Marcus Camoosa, he was able to plan the event to take place on May 17 at the high school. Months before the car show, he started posting on his social media page, where he focuses on car photography. He reached out to people and even acquired donors for raffle baskets.
“The day of, everything was set in place. Throughout the whole car show, there were around 350-450 people,” Keeley proudly elaborates.
The car show was an instant hit, despite some rainy weather. Keeley ensured every single facet was taken care of, from having dozens and dozens of cars, trucks, motorcycles and more in attendance, to having the local police stationed at the event as well.
“I got some of the hottest cars in Jersey to come,” Keeley says. “Some of them were worth upwards of $500,000. We also had some classic cars, trucks, motorcycles – something for everybody.” Even the U.S. Marine Corps from Lincroft brought over one of their armored trucks, with all the automobiles together at the event being worth over $10,000,000 combined.
Keeley was able to utilize his connections in order to cultivate such a high-end registration list for his first show. He offered free registration, and the event made money through a spectator entrance fee. Concession stands were all donated through local businesses, as were raffle baskets filled with merchandise and gift cards, worth over $1,000 in value. Keeley was thrilled that even Middletown Mayor Tony Perry attended the event, telling Keeley he did a great job with the show.
When asked if he’s planning on doing another car show, Keeley answers, “A hundred percent.” He’s especially invigorated by the fact that it rained and yet they still had such a great turnout. “It really boosted my confidence with what I could do and what people want,” he says.
With one car show under his belt, Keeley is glad for the experience, which will help him make improvements on future car shows. He plans on hiring more managers to give himself some grace during the show (“I was doing so much,” he confides), and says that the set up was the most difficult part about the entire event. He also wants to make the experience better for the car owners, with less time spent on the lot, because, as Keeley puts it, they’re the reason people go to the event in the first place.
“I would love to work with another local charity,” Keeley adds, positive that he always wants his car shows to contribute back to the community. He was also proud to label the event a Monmouth County-focused one: “Most of the cars were from Monmouth; all the businesses were from Monmouth, the school is Monmouth. It was a taste of Monmouth County.”
His main goal is to have another car show organized by the end of this summer. He’ll still be able to make the event local, as he’ll be attending Monmouth University next year. Keeley will study business at college, where he plans to put his new experience toward his education. “I could definitely see a career coming out of this.”
With his fellow students telling him how happy they were with the event, Keeley plans on doing it either biannually or annually. “I was more than pleased with the event,” Keeley says. “I felt very supported by everyone.”
To see James Keeley’s photography and news on future car shows, visit @Shots_By_Keeley on Instagram
