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| Casey Putsch and the Story of Genius Garage
Ever since I was old enough to understand cars and truly experience them, I knew I wanted to spend my life pursuing a career in motorsports. Unfortunately, I found there was no real ‘road map’ in place to help someone with an interest in cars find a place within the industry. Today, I feel lucky to have what I would have called in college my ‘dream opportunity,’ where I spend my days here writing about people who have carved out their places in the world of motorsports. Casey Putsch is one such individual and someone with whom you may be familiar through his videos on VinWiki. Casey has lived his life chasing his dreams of being fully immersed in the world of racing and now provides young people who share that interest with something special. Casey’s program, Genius Garage, is the bridge over the gap between formal academics and industry experience designed to give passionate students the hands-on learning and more they need to begin their career on the cutting-edge of technological development in motorsports and other areas.
Casey is more than enthusiastic about the thought of being a mentor and teacher to young people who share an interest in engineering. As a young man, that enthusiasm encompassed anything automotive. Slot cars, models, RC cars, and a Briggs & Stratton Go Kart dominated his childhood, where his interest was nurtured by his father. Together, the two spent ample time around classic cars, driving through the country, and attending car shows. Early on, a conversation between Casey and his dad involved what was more than likely a bit of a joke that immediately became a real goal. His father, according to Casey, mentioned that when he turned sixteen, maybe he could get his own race car. This cemented in Casey’s mind and, thanks to his tenacious spirit, would come to fruition as a young adult. |
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| As he grew up, Casey spent more time pursuing his interest in both vintage cars and vintage racing thanks to his early introduction through his old models. By the time he was in college, his goal became singularly focused on racing and owning a car that would allow him to pursue that passion. With that aspiration, he did something many of us probably lay awake at night fantasizing about: he sold everything he could and purchased his very own race car. With a car, any idea of taking a position out of college that prevented him from spending as much time working on and driving race cars was out of the question. |
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| However, as many in our industry have also experienced, Casey had a notable lack of guidance to help him find a place in the professional world of motorsports. While he was incredibly happy with his job as a Ferrari technician that he secured his senior year of school, he found that the growth he needed would not happen in that position. Once again taking a massive risk, he moved home to work on his family’s small rural golf course in Ohio and set his sights on his ultimate goal of building and racing what he wanted. |
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| “When I graduated, I knew I wanted to do more than race karts. I sold everything I had that was worth anything to try and find a race car.†|
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| With an extremely limited budget, minimal resources, and a frigid shop, Casey began his own builds. What started as personal projects began to garner attention from other drivers who became familiar with Casey’s work. After successfully building and racing several high-profile cars, being invited to prestigious Concours D'elegance with his vintage race cars, and growing steadily as a driver, he generated interest among a few individuals who sought him out to build cars of their own. He realized his needs were quickly outgrowing his parent’s property, so Casey began looking for a shop space where he could tackle larger projects and establish himself as a professional in the industry. |
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| “I didn’t have any guidance or mentorship that allowed me to do what I loved post graduation. After I saw that, I decided to give kids an opportunity that I didn’t have. I was working as a Ferrari mechanic, but I didn’t see that I would have much future there.†|
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One common facet of Casey’s life is his ability to take risks. To make a choice and not look back, as Han from Tokyo Drift said. This mentality allowed him to step outside of his comfort zone in an effort to pursue his singular interest. However, as he began to look for spaces near his hometown that would be suitable for his shop needs, he found nothing that would work. Never dejected, he took a leap and moved to Columbus, where he found the facility he needed.Â
It was there that Casey began buying and selling cars for a race shop and founded Putsch Racing, his own business centered around high-end race cars and catered to their owners. All the while, the realization that he was essentially flying blind trying to establish himself hung around in the back of his mind. The more he became involved, the more connections he formed, and the more time he spent in and around race cars kept reminding him that the distinct lack of guidance he had was an intimidating barrier for someone interested in pursuing a career in the industry. While he experienced success, there were certain moves he took that were completely based on his own inspiration and happened to pan out. Without those key elements in his life, like his dedicated drive to build things for himself, he may have not found his way into the career he enjoyed. It was then, only two short years after moving to Columbus, he took those ideas about guidance and mentorship and formed a real plan. |
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Years prior, he had already toyed with the thought of creating a space for ‘cool people’ to come together where they could work on exciting car projects and offer instruction to young people who shared that interest. While he was fortunate enough to grow up relatively close to the world in which he aspired to live, Casey also knew there were many out there who either never had a chance to pursue that interest or were never given the opportunity to discover they had an interest in motorsports at all. In 2007, the original concept for Genius Garage was formed. By 2013, Casey was meeting with a team of his friends and colleagues to establish an early board of directors for the project.Â
Early on in that first year, the concept was heartily carried by Casey’s excitement and his prediction that the idea was too good to let sit idle. With his own resources, he poured everything he had once again into what he needed to make Genius Garage grow from a conversation to a real institution. With his own funding, and participation from engineers, professionals, and other established individuals, Genius Garage was born. |
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| “This is too good of an idea not to make happen, even if I’m the only one that makes it happen.†|
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Like any endeavor, for the project to be taken seriously and succeed, Genius Garage took a tremendous amount of work. Between reviewing applications, securing volunteers, and developing the project goals for Genius Garage, making the program ready for students in the classroom demanded all of Casey’s energy and attention. But, with the solid foundation in place, he found that the formula worked to near perfection.
In 2014, Casey had his first students and a real opportunity to provide the critical hands-on experience under leadership by motivated professionals with a real drive to help those young people grow. He recruited students for what would be essentially a real racing team that first year, only changing one approach to his process. He found that deciding upon a student crew chief wasn’t possible by purely looking at a prospective student’s resume on paper. In line with his values and the goals of his school, Casey chose to observe his students in the classroom setting where he could look for the leadership qualities that were necessary for his ideal crew chief. This decision helped to focus the curriculum, where students now spend their first year learning to work in a collaborative environment and have the opportunities to establish themselves as leaders amongst their peers. This formula, based on practical, hands-on, and observational learning, has allowed Genius Garage to produce successful student teams with real experience and something truly exceptional on their resume. |
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| “Somewhere during the year there is this cool moment that only we get to see. It’s that click when something happens and they become the person they’re going to be. A transitional moment where they go from being a kid to being a person with their own identity.†|
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| Genius Garage gives these young people an environment in which they can explore their passions for engineering, work on real projects in the field, and effectively use the tools they have been given by their formal education. While Casey may have experienced a disconnect between his classroom lessons and those he had while he tried to develop himself professionally, his students benefit from mentorship and guidance that help them arrange their skills with what companies desire from future employees. That guidance has proven to be successful, as many of Casey’s former students have gone on to work for leading technology companies like Tesla, where they draw upon their practical knowledge gained from working in a real racing and engineering environment. |
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| What is more incredible about Casey’s story than his ambition to cultivate successful students is his dedication to those students inside and outside the classroom. As an enthusiast, part of our responsibilities to our chosen interest is ensuring that the cars we care about remain relevant through the next generations. Casey cares about his student’s futures and the future of technology, as it applies to motorsports, aerospace, and greater engineering projects. His place as both a teacher and a role model for these students has immortalized itself through their successes and will continue to gain prominence as more enthusiastic young people take advantage of their new chances to have proper guidance into the world of motorsports. |
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| “I get to change things for these young people who I care about in a way that I didn’t have when I was their age. When I see them be successful, there is a certain bit fulfillment and pride you get from that.†|
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Through it all, Casey has never lost sight of his dedication to racing for himself. He regularly drives for the Genius Garage team and enjoys his own personal race cars, living up to his original dream as a young man to spend his life around the sport. Thanks to that inherent self-drive and a series of risky, but ultimately excellent, choices, we have an inspirational figure to help continue our hobby through the future work of some enthusiastic students and young professionals.Â
As a reader, you may be interested in knowing how to become involved yourself. This is especially true if you have children who are interested in pursuing a career in engineering, design, aerospace, or racing. Casey’s Genius Garage program offers the perfect environment to take the necessary first steps down that path.Â
The Genius Garage is now growing steadily in its outreach. He will soon have a YouTube channel dedicated to offering advice to viewers through responses to their questions, letters, and concerns, as well as a Genius Garage channel where you can follow his students’ work. That channel and the Genius Garage social media are where you can make your introductions. Genius Garage is now located in Bowling Green, Ohio, and any young person interested in their career development is encouraged to reach out for a formal introduction, apply, and potentially be a part of the perfect internship opportunity. This program is designed to offer the necessary skills industry leaders expect from future employees all while giving the students an unparalleled environment to establish their interest and grow their resume through hands-on experience and caring leadership. We sincerely look forward to seeing Genius Garage continue to grow and offer the world of motorsports something unique, practical, and above all, fun for future enthusiasts. |
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| Locking Up
Sometimes, we just need a bit of an inspirational story to start the week on the right foot. The timeless American classic of following your dreams to success with the added bonus of that altruistic service mindset makes this story one we find both motivational and endearing. We want to say a special thank you to Casey Putsch and Genius Garage for taking the time to speak with us and let us share his project with the Turner Motorsport community. We look forward to sharing more awesome experiences with you from around the BMW community as the year continues, so don’t be shy to offer a story of your own to share with the Turner Motorsport family right here at Turner Motorsport Weekly.
-Turner Motorsport |
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