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.
We all know that saying – “One woman’s treasure is another man’s treasure.” Wait… That’s not a saying? Well, it should be. Forum member njsteve bought this 2001 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 as a project for his son and him to work on. Its previous owner was a woman who had more than an inch’s […] More »
With a Speed Inc. tune and SI5 cam, as well as headers, this CCW Ride of the Month-winner cranks out 388 horsepower and 363 pound-feet of torque at its rear 20 X 11 505A rollers.
Every person will leave his or her legacy in one way or another. Some will do it in the form of a wing added to a university building. A gold Rolex will serve as a final remembrance for other people. Richard Furgeson, who died in 2008, left his mark on the world and his family’s […] More »
As car guys, most of us enjoy working on and upgrading our vehicles with our own hands; however, wouldn’t it be nice to buy something that’s awesome right out of the box?
Back in the height of my James Bond fandom in the mid-2000s, I wrote my own fan fiction. I liked several of the original and continuation novels, but I believed that some of them could have been better. Looking back on my writing, I see it as my way of saying to those responsible for […] More »
General Motors has issued another recall. You are not hallucinating. You are not high (are you?) This is real. The automaker “will rework or replace the ignition keys on about 3.16 million 2000 to 2014 model year cars in the U.S. because the ignition switch may inadvertently move out of the ‘run’ position if the […] More »
When my car hits 147,000 miles, the only thing I’ll do is cross my fingers that it lasts until 200,000. When a 2005 Cadillac CTS-V hit that mark, its owner, a man by the screen name of Hammar, decided to have some fun instead of worry. He went to the dyno. His well-traveled machine has […] More »