Jeep Beach CTITour 2015 – Part 2

The arrival at the 12th Annual Jeep Beach (Facebook) marked our destination of the first half of the #CTITour2015 leg.

It’s hard to imagine a couple thousand jeeps running around the inside of the Daytona International Speedway, but that exactly what Jeep Beach is all about…oh…and of course setting records! Jeep Beach 2015 set the World Record for Largest Parade of Jeeps…1846 was the official total and earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records! Of course it’s not all just about breaking records. Throughout the week there are a ton of activities as well…from registration and packet pick up Show ‘n Shine to the Jeep Beach Mixer and silent auction, Scavenger Hunt and Tiki party at the host resort…truly something for everyone.

The Vendor Show at Jeep Beach was bigger than any prior year! For two full days the action on the obstacle course and the line at the CTI Trailer was non-stop!

At one point there were three lines waiting to get on the CTI Trailer…each of them 20 jeeps deep! What a sight!

After a busy and hugely successful event in Daytona Beach, it was time to start the trip back across the southern states and meet up with some more fellow off-roaders that share the same passions as we do! Our first stop was just up the road in Jacksonville, Florida where we spent an afternoon with Overbuilt Customs. Almost 20 jeeps showed up on a Sunday afternoon to come out and see how their rigs flexed on the CTI Trailer…one jeep all the way from Virginia! A great shop with some unique builds and great folks!

Leaving Florida was bittersweet but with storms heading along the gulf states we knew it could be an interesting drive to get to our next stop in Shreveport, Louisiana. Luckily we stayed just outside the majority of the severe weather but when we did get to Shreveport it was far from perfect weather. 4 Wheel Parts in Bossier City let us take over their parking lot and a long time customer, Shelby StClaire arranged for some folks to come out and join us in the light rain and cool weather. Once again, a little weather doesn’t stop many jeepers!

With three more stops to make, we still had lots of miles to cover!

Our next venue would be at the oldest fabrication company in North Texas…BaerTrax in Dallas. A huge shop behind an unassuming exterior, a great showroom and 20+ rigs all made for a great experience. Josh was away at a race but Steve and the staff all helped to make this stop a great one! Their website is at http://www.baertrax.com

Continuing our trek north with Amarillo in our sights and Fabwright Unlimited Custom Fabrication as our next stop. With one of the cleanest shops I’ve ever been inside, these guys also have some skills…and they should after 25 years in the fabrication industry!

With just over 500 miles to go on the journey back home, there would be one more stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico with our friend Fred Hawkins and the New Mexico Jeep Builders.

With the largest turnout during the first #CTITour2015 of the year, Albuquerque is definitely a place to visit and spend more time in…in fact, I may have to make a trip back there just to spend more time at Rock & Brews!

In the 15 days that we spent on this portion of the Tour, we did over 300 CTI tests, met some of the country’s most passionate and enjoyable people, covered over 4,000 miles…and guess what…we’re getting ready to do it all again! Stay tuned for the next #CTITour2015 coming to an event or shop or jeep club near you!