In one of Dwight Yoakam’s songs from his 1993 album This Time, he says, “Maybe I’ll be fast as you.” The song is from the perspective of someone who’s addressing their ex, but those six words could apply to a lot of people. In fact, Yoakam might be faster because he’s a Corvette man.
The video below, Saw You Comin’, documents the work and ideas that went into making Yoakam’s 2012 album 3 Pears. Part of that process involved listening to the rough cuts and mixes of his songs in his C6 convertible – at eardrum-detonating volumes. He made sure to have his fellow musicians, engineers, and even Beck sit next to him so they could do the same.
Yoakam essentially used his ‘Vette as a ragtop test room in which he could determine which sonic elements his songs were missing or had too much of. He said the interior of his C6 was “the final resting place for voting, … the precinct that casts the deciding ballot.”
It’s nice to know that Yoakam – who comes from Kentucky, just like Corvettes have since 1981 – has a love for America’s sports car. He seems very down to Earth, especially because he tests his tunes in one of the ways his fans do: from the driver’s seat.
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.
