Dr. Garrett Reisman is no stranger to high mileage. He’s a former astronaut who’s been to the International Space Station – twice. In fact, he traveled nearly five million miles aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis to and from the site in 2010.
The two began spending more time together. When Francis enrolled at Cal Tech, she needed wheels. She and Dr. Reisman decided upon a 1969 Ford Bronco held together by duct tape. So was Dr. Reisman’s recently purchased 1975 International Harvester Scout II.
While overhauling the two trucks, the couple grew closer. Dr. Reisman, a mechanical engineer, showed Francis, an oceanographer, the ropes.
Eventually, the two married. Dr. Reisman came to discover just how much his wife learned from him: while he was training in Russia for his first space mission, she rebuilt her Bronco’s carburetor.
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.
