Casey Putsch to appear at the KIC, Road America July 18-20 | Page 6 | FerrariChat

Casey Putsch to appear at the KIC, Road America July 18-20

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by ProCoach, Jul 7, 2008.

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  1. SpeedPak

    SpeedPak Rookie

    Oct 10, 2007
    11
    #126 SpeedPak, Aug 18, 2008
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2008
    You make some good points, though I did not see any current or future F1 drivers in the paddock. I do think that b-mak's fetish for doughnuts was detrimental to our effort. I did find sprinkles and powdered sugar residue on the steering wheel, but to be fair I will not make accusations yet. Instead I have sent the suspect residue to our crack team of Pak. CSI to tell me for sure what it is. I am sure the results will be most interesting.

    If there are no local drivers who have come up through the soloii---vintage racing ladder that are available, then I'm afraid we are out of luck and will have to continue to relay on b-mak's driving skill(?). NUR ALI is too busy dominating the world of nascar by driving in arca. Maybe Casey will help our team by creating a proper fitness program for our team drivers.

    You seem to have a great amount of JDM knowledge, this can help us because we race in the mighty honda civic chassis, this has a lot of f1 inspired technology like the vtech engine (which we don't have)

    Perhaps we can hire you to help us set up the car for maximum time attack?
     
  2. b-mak

    b-mak F1 Veteran

    Um, Casey, is this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI9sAVIqpJw) really you driving?

    As a professional coach for more than a couple of years, I'm compelled to put my coach's hat on for a minute.

    - From the drop of the flag, you get owned by a couple of drivers
    - Your right hand is often conspicuously absent from the steering wheel
    - Despite the fragile formula car in front of you clobbering a hay bale, he still owns you; by the way, is that a "rock on, rock star" shaking of your arm at this fellow?
    - Your hands move about the wheel like drag queens in a Pride parade

    Peter, would you be able to shed some light on this technique? I really don't know much about driving "vitnage" cars.
     
  3. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran
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    Sep 15, 2004
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    Peter Krause
    That sort of thing is frowned upon in vintage. I did like the watch on the steering wheel and the deft flick of the fan switch in the center of the dash while on the fly! :D
     
  4. chaparralman

    chaparralman Karting

    Jan 30, 2008
    83
  5. yzee

    yzee F1 Veteran
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    Apr 16, 2005
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    #130 yzee, Aug 18, 2008
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2008
    I can't get the sound to work. At 1.22 in, Casey points to where the yellow ow car should go. What happened?
     
  6. Senna3xWC

    Senna3xWC F1 Rookie

    Nov 30, 2006
    3,152
    NYC
    Whatever happened to his video of the "Formula 1 Driver" driving a Ferrari 308 to the sound of perhaps the most ridiculous poem I have ever heard?

    That one was a classic :D
     
  7. Simon^2

    Simon^2 F1 World Champ

    Oct 17, 2005
    12,313
    At Sea Level
    Who's gonna pay for my hernia operation?
     
  8. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

    Mar 16, 2002
    13,337
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    Jack
    I've started saving these posts. They're gold.
     
  9. b-mak

    b-mak F1 Veteran

    I've got another invitation open to Casey. Let's see if he shows, shall we?
     
  10. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
    19,800
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    Art
    I hate to tell you this but vintage racing isn't really racing. It's foo foo time. When you run in a sport where they throw you out if you run into someone or crash, then they are telling you it's foo foo time. I get a great giggle out of those folks who "race" in the vintage class. It isn't and it will never be racing. Those cars used to race, now it's a show for those with more money than talent.

    Sorry for the rank, but that's my humble opinion.

    Art
     
  11. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
    17,673
    Tauranga, NZ
    Full Name:
    Pete
    Agree, but this is how vintage racing should be ... ie: its all about the car.

    Pete
     
  12. zoRob

    zoRob Formula 3

    Oct 31, 2006
    2,004
    Cambs, UK
    I think he is probably not coming so he does not embarrass you ;)
     
  13. chaparralman

    chaparralman Karting

    Jan 30, 2008
    83
    #138 chaparralman, Aug 21, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 21, 2008
    A couple of points for you to think about.

    One: In vintage racing, cars are faster than when they were new. They were legendary when new and are nothing to sneeze at now. These cars are generally more dangerous and more difficult to drive fast than a modern counterpart. I can attest first hand to some close fought and 10/10ths battles. If you believe that racing must have bumping, rubbing, and ridiculous wrecks to be good sport, then I can't relate to you and we may as well drop that point. Perhaps your preference would be the Ultimate Fighting Challenge (UFC) over Olympic Fencing?

    Two: B-mak. A personal invite to a Mid-Ohio track day? Last weekend I was running the Horsepower for History Concours d'Elegance in Tiffin and the weekend before that (8th) I actually had the Can-Am car at Mid-Ohio. I was at the SCCA track day/Ferrari club annual meet to promote my event as well as volunteering to instruct and coach as well. (actually gave two friends a ride in the McKee/Lola)Were you there? Do you plan to line up your Diesel Mercedes street car from "One Lap" against the McKee/Lola? Maybe you simply want to run me off the track? What exactly are you trying to prove? Pardon me sir, but you have also not taken the time to watch me at any race or to come to the concours, etc. Please do not berate a person for not taking time, when you yourself do not either.

    Three: Admittedly, I honestly get a laugh out of Phase Dance's (aka Jack Baruth's) writings now. They are well thought out and honestly funny. I've got to give him "kudos" as it makes me laugh too. Keep 'em coming Jack.

    Four: This is an amazing thread that was started and I am in some disbelief that it keeps going. I find myself checking it only to try and "save face" with some of the off base comments. What exactly are we doing here? Isn't there something more interesting to talk about?

    Casey Putsch
     
  14. chaparralman

    chaparralman Karting

    Jan 30, 2008
    83
    #139 chaparralman, Aug 21, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The written bottom line:

    My name is Casey Putsch. I am from Tiffin, Ohio and I race cars. I have modest means in racing and find that the best bang for my buck is restoring old race cars and road racing them. I continue striving for an opportunity to race professionally.



    That is it, why does it bother everyone so much???


    Casey Putsch
    www.putschracing.com
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  15. WCH

    WCH F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Mar 16, 2003
    5,180
    I'll give you this, Casey: unlike virtually everyone else on this thread - and correct me please guys if I'm wrong - you're actually racing something. For better, worse, or laughs, you're out there.
     
  16. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
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    Art
    Casey: unlike you, I did race for real. Ran AMA Superbike, and BOTT. Won a Championship or two. I suggest that when I raced, motorcycles were a lot more dangerous than any of these cars. However, I see people snivel, like you, about "hurting" these cars. Big deal. If you want to play at going fast, I suggest a playstation 3, they work very well.

    I represent people who race for money (a driver or two in Indy Cars and Nascar, a couple riders in MotoGP and a few riders in the AMA professional series) now. The point is if you have to worrry about hurting the car, you shouldn't be driving it. A great line from Dan Gurney (said to me at the starting line at the last AMA National at Riverside, in 1981): "Don't put anything on the grid that you aren't willing to destroy, including yourself." I've always followed that thought, and it's a very true statement about racing. One of the great things about racing is that the people aren't too phony, and you make some very good friends there, because of that.

    Art
     
  17. maxorido

    maxorido Formula 3

    Jul 6, 2006
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    Dude, honestly? It's because you come off as a freaking weirdo. You posted a bunch of BS about your old ass getting a shot at Euro F3, which you'd most likely get blown away in, and being "groomed" for F1. You didn't post any references or provide any proof, you simply posted that BS and then took a high ground attitude, when people were calling you on it. I don't know if you were trying to scam anyone here, get a few laughs out of messing with people here, or if you are in fact a freaking psycho. If you didn't come off as such an arrogant and delusional arsewipe, people here would be more than happy to hear about your vintage racing. I race karts and Skip Barber cars, but there's no way I'd talk to you about your karting, because of the crap I've already seen you post. Get help, dude.
     
  18. Viergang

    Viergang Rookie

    Aug 21, 2008
    1
    Powell, OH
    Full Name:
    Jack Baruth
    Hello all,

    Just wanted to stop in, chat, and share an opinion or two. I'm Jack Baruth, the fellow whom Casey credits, rightly or wrongly, with posting under a series of Metheny-esque aliases. This assertion seems absurd on its face because, as you can plainly see, I am far too old and staid to have mastered the staccato flow of AOLspeak, willful deconstruction, and F1-trivia-misunderstanding which characterizes the efforts of those worthy fellows.

    Let me begin by saying that I am a fan of Casey's, with certain caveats as detailed below. I first met him during the winter of 2004 when I had occasion to pull his 944 out of a snow-lined ditch, using my then-trusty Discovery 4.6. He seemed like a nice fellow who had apparently been caught out by the sudden arrival of the last day of a three-day-long snowstorm, or perhaps a tire compound issue, or something like that.

    Casey and I crossed paths again in March of 2005 when he presented himself as a candidate for my One Lap of America effort. At the time, as now, I was impressed by his passion for automobiles and his broad enthusiasm regarding racing. Unfortunately, our effort foundered due to a misunderstanding about money - namely, I wanted Casey to pay and he rather wished to be paid - so I settled on b-mak as my pro driver.

    Our last encounter was at an SCCA autocross in 2006, where Casey's Devlin vomited oil on the course twice in two runs. That's a no-no in Solo II - you only get one chance to mar the course - and Casey was asked to skedaddle. Since then, I've only seen him on the Internet.

    I am currently of two minds regarding the fellow. To begin with, I admire his mechanical skill and zest for the automotive life. His self-promotional skills are, at the least, vibrant, and he seems to be able to extract the most out of many opportunities. He's a breath of fresh young air in the world of vintage racing, and he has certainly put a lot of effort into looking the part at his events.

    On the other hand, as a struggling, self-funded, middle-aged club racer, I can't stand Mr. Putsch and his absolutely ridiculous claims to be a Formula One candidate. From my perspective, every time he tells some newspaper or media source that he is being "groomed for F1" he is simultaneously making a laughingstock of himself and wholly denigrating the efforts of legitimate American open-wheel prospects. On his website, he claims that "It has been many years since the United States has had a Formula 1 driver they could be proud of." That kind of statement drives me nuts. Say what you like about Scott Speed, but the difference in raw talent, effort, and lifetime training between someone like that and a vintage-racing backmarker is a chasm across which only a fool seriously believes he might leap.

    I also find it personally offensive - and I suspect I am not alone here - that Casey seriously believes there's no difference between vintage "foo foo" and real-world modern racing. Those of you who are serious racers at any amateur or professional level understand the sheer amount of talent, effort, preparation, and financial backing necessary to race at any level where people are "racing for real", as 2000Yellow360 might say. I've already been punted into the wall and totaled one car so far this year, and that's just in the humble arena of NASA racing.

    I know that to achieve my personal goal - which is to take the proverbial cup of coffee in a Rolex DP or GT season - it will take hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours spent in training and driver development. I also know that DP is far, far, far easier than any of the European open-wheel classes. So when I read that some yahoo whose sole racing accomplishments at the age of twenty-six consist of holding up the ass end of vintage races thinks he's going to F1... well, it feels like a slap in the face to every racer out there who is honestly looking to maximize the return on his potential, abilities, training, and investment.

    I would like to suggest that what Casey is doing with his life isn't racing as I know it, or b-mak knows it, or others know it. With his painstakingly built cars, his scarves, his goggles, and his self-consciously "vintage" behavior, Casey appears to be more of a re-enactor of racing. His goal, if he would only have the honesty to admit it to himself, is to recreate racing as it once was - to have the sounds, smells, clothing, and nuances of a wonderful time long since gone by. There's nothing wrong with that; in fact, I'd suggest that it's rather admirable. Were Casey presenting himself as a simple re-enactor of vintage racing, I'd be proud to know him and I would cheerfully attend his races, the same way I might attend a Renaissance Fair or Civil War battle reenactment. I think it's neat. His cars, his scarves, his faux-aristocratic demeanor - it's all really fun.

    But when Casey's focus blurs beyond that and he effectively defecates on every real open-wheel driver in this country by suggesting that he is somehow more worthy of an F1 ride than, say, an Atlantic champion or F2000 series winner - that's garbage, and it should be called out as such.
     
  19. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

    Mar 16, 2002
    13,337
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    Jack
    Jack--well said. I think the points you made are similar to what I said a while back. Face reality and enjoy what you're doing. Casey, like I said before, you're not a pro racer, you're a sportsman. There's certainly no shame in that unless you misrepresent yourself as being something you're not. I watched the on-board from Pittsburgh, and while it was interesting, it didn't instill me with any feelings that I was witnessing greatness behind the wheel. In my limited life of on-track action--now 8 years removed--I ran one event with a few older open-wheelers. They were slugs, and the most difficult thing was making sure you didn't run up the back of one exiting a corner. So, once again, you seem like a decent guy who's enjoying some interesting hobbies. But don't take anything too seriously.
     
  20. b-mak

    b-mak F1 Veteran

    Casey, I believe this is now the second race of mine this season at Mid-Ohio that I've invited you to. It's too bad you were too busy concours-ing.

    Let's make a few things very clear:

    - Professional coaches and instructors don't volunteer.

    - Professional racing drivers don't own racing cars. I've never owned a diesel Mercedes, but I've certainly competed in one.

    - Vintage "racing" isn't racing. It's pretending. Please stop trying to legitimize what you do as "racing" and stop trying to fool non-racers. It's not fair to those people in this community and, in the end, you're only deluding yourself.

    - You haven't invited me to any of your "races". If you were on the true ladder to F1, chances are I'd have watched you race in person and, just as likely, you'd have seen me race in some type of supporting sedan race.

    - My posts in this thread aren't about a competition, but if you'd like one, I would be pleased to arrange it. Just let me know what you think are fair stakes.

    Regardless of what you think, the invitation is still open for you to attend our next race. PM me for our paddock location and garage number.
     
  21. WCH

    WCH F1 Veteran
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    Mar 16, 2003
    5,180
    #146 WCH, Aug 21, 2008
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2008
    B Mak, what do you race? What series?

    Never mind, found it. You guys are pretty harsh IMO.
     
  22. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran
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    #147 ProCoach, Aug 21, 2008
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2008
    Agree with WCH here. Geez, Art. Tell that to Bobby Rahal, Bobby Brown, Ted Wenz, Duncan Dayton, James King and a few other front-line pros and ex-pros that race historic cars.

    Tell that to Vic Skirmants and Kent Prather (nine National SCCA Championships between them) when I'm the meat in their sandwich (yes, we were on the front two rows together at Mid-Ohio ahead of fifty other Porsches, MG's and a ton of older sports cars) going up into the keyhole, three abreast, looking at each other and laughing maniacally and trying to figure out who's going to chicken out first. :)

    Tell that to Stirling Moss, who smashed the 1959 LeMans winning DBR1 at Monterey, turn one, lap one a few years ago, taking a few others with him.

    WCH will tell you. I don't race any different in vintage and historic racing than in SCCA National Championship races, one of which I'm headed to tomorrow. Been that way for twenty-five years. And yes, I've won two out of the last three Nationals I've run, including one over two National Champions, one current, one former.

    I understand Art, maxorido, Jack and my colleague b-mak's point, but I think the real issue is that vintage is NOT the venue to "prove yourself" as Casey is wont to do.

    West Coast vintage racing is p@$$y racing, IMO, especially with the "choreographed" finishes that Steve mandated this past weekend (and every weekend). Other places, it's not. It's just racing. Green flag, fellas! :D
     
  23. b-mak

    b-mak F1 Veteran

    This year, it's NASA. Next year, it could be NASA again, could be KONI Challenge. H3ll, I could be driving Formula 1!

    I've been at this game since 1991 and, since I am decidedly not on the sponsor search, I don't have a resume available, nor am I here to promote my "racing career".

    Just watching Tanner Faust in the X Games; it seems he uses the same Sparco seat as I do.
     
  24. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
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    Art
    Maybe that's why a couple of my Indy car driver friends thought I was crazy to race motorcycles (Mike Groff & Freddy Ekblom). However, I suspsect if you ask those guys ou mentioned, they are not going 10/10ths. They aren't going to wad up those cars, and indeed, from my understanding, if you do wreck, they ask you to go home for a while. Having said that, accidents sometimes happen. It's one thing to tap someone out of the way (we did that on motorcycles on occassion) and another to just lose it. I know some racing series do enforce a "no crash" rule, but everywhere I've seen it, it's been a detriment to the sport. An example: in the early 70s, riders from Northern California came up and dominated the entire world in pavement racing. Examples: Kenny Robert, Randy Mamola, ect. They came up through the AFM. When the AFM put in a rule about crashes, world champions from Northern California stopped. Could it be that the riders didn't get a chance to see just how fast they could go? I suspect so.

    We all go to the level of our competition. I suspect the vintage guys who are in the front aren't going as fast as they did when they were younger.

    I spent a pleasant afternoon with Mr. Earle just a few weeks ago. A friend was trying to ensure that his car could get into the races and needed to prove it's originality. Nice guy. BTW: Mr. Price got hurt when his car blew up. Wonder if he'll get it back together any time soon.

    BTW: to see what I mean, watch the video of the MotoGP race between Stoner and Rossi of last month. Watch the pass in the corkscrew. That's racing.

    Art
     
  25. WCH

    WCH F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Mar 16, 2003
    5,180
    I guess I lack swagger. I'm willing to race to different sets of rules.

    The VSCCA, where I plan to race my old Alfa Giulietta Lightweight, refers everyone to a 1984 letter stating that it is "not primarily a racing organization" and is in fact "indifferent to who wins our races." I can do that and have fun, and I think of it as racing. Making progress while keeping things entirely in hand is not easy. Other vintage racing groups vary in their approaches to competition, of course.

    Porsche Club's series, when I participated, had a 13/13 rule, which didn't stop me from totalling a 911 at Road America. At least that was my first infraction in the course of a lot of close racing.

    Next year I'll race a Stohr WF1 and a Spec Racer Ford in SCCA. The odd hard whack on the side, and bump/smash draft, is a staple of SRF. As for the Stohr, which I recently ordered, I was told "you don't want to crash that car;" nonsense IMO, as assuming a competitive series the guys on the edge wil be running up front, carbon fiber or no.

    So, let the "real racing" argument carry on; I call it all racing. But then, I'm not a racing driver: I'm a guy who drives race cars for fun. And, though I've raced in a very small time pro series, and will join the proposed sports racer pro series if it happens, I'm not a professional racer: I'm just an enthusiast who drove in a small time pro series. Pro racing is quite overrated IMO; let's face it, all it takes to race (as opposed to win in) a DP is money.
     

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