Want to show off your Jeep? A large-scale event is coming to Tampa

History behind the Jeep

Lloyd Sowers reports

TAMPA, Fla. - It's hard to believe that modern Jeeps with all their bling and accessories trace their roots to the World War II Jeep that was built to be simple, but Jeep lovers always wanted to do more.

"The Jeep is Americana. In World War II it started, and it’s been an American legacy ever since," said Reece Register, president of the Tampa Bay Jeep Club.

His Jeep has lots of personality.

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"It also has upgraded gears, Extreme axles, a winch, and an Alpine system," he laughed.

That all translates to an $80,000 dollar Jeep that he likes to get dirty.

His club is designing a new off-road track. They plan to have it ready for September 21 for what organizers say could be one of Florida's biggest Jeep events ever.

"We're talking about 1,000 Jeeps and everybody can go on the road course," says Brad Oleshansky, owner of The Motor Enclave, a 200-acre auto enthusiasts’ playground with a track for fast cars at its center.

Adding another off-road track to the four already there taps into a different kind of driver.

"We usually like to do every brand, but the Jeep crowd is a unique community all in itself," said Oleshansky.

Some in the Jeep community put rubber ducks on their dashboards. There's also the Jeep wave.

"Anytime you pass somebody else in a Jeep, it's an unspoken language where you have to throw two fingers up. You don't have to know that person, we have the same DNA," said Register. "It's really an honor to ride around in something with that much history."

The Tampa Jeep Takeover is Saturday, September 21. It costs $75 per vehicle for all day admission, including access to the off-road tracks. For more information, click here.

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