I’ve always known Kentucky has a lot going for it. It’s the place to go for bourbon, fried chicken (not just the chain stuff), and picking up a Corvette from the factory. (Plus, my mom’s from there.) However, I was surprised to learn it has such a thriving Jeep scene.
This past weekend, more than 450 people from 29 states (and Canada) in 245 Jeeps descended upon Williamsburg, Kentucky for the 22nd annual “Gateway to the Cumberlands” event put on by Jeep Jamboree. If that sounds like a great turnout, that’s because it is; this year’s “Gateway to the Cumberlands” drive was the world’s largest Jeep Jamboree gathering – for the second year in a row. Attendees ended up conquering 14 trials through southeastern Kentucky and northeastern Tennessee. Sure, it was rainy and muddy the first morning, but what better circumstances in which to start romping around in a Wrangler Rubicon or geared-up Grand Cherokee?
I have a feeling some of you were there to get some Kentucky soil all over your Jeeps. If you were, please let us know about your experience.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
