In 2000, at the age of 27, John embarked on a journey that would blend his engineering skills with his need for speed. Having recently wrapped up a mechanical engineering degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he stumbled upon the world of shifter kart racing at Monterey Bay Karters and was instantly hooked. The journey began with his best race friends, Kenny King and Jason Bala, as they always raced together, pushing each other to be better. But as any racer knows, karting isn’t exactly cheap. To help fund his new passion, John started sourcing and selling parts through the early internet days—Craigslist and various classifieds—turning a side hustle into something much bigger than he ever expected.
Balancing his day job as a mechanical engineer, John toyed with the idea of becoming a kart dealer. So in 2000, he pulled the trigger and started a small business, selling parts and karts to local racers—initially just stocking what he raced himself: Trackmagic Karts and CR80 shifters. During this time, while working as an engineer, customers would call, and John would answer with a simple, "Hello, John speaking." The moment he realized it was a customer, he would bolt out the back door into the bushes to take orders—or, if necessary, retreat to the bathroom for some privacy. This was a necessity because just 10 feet away sat his engineering manager, and on the other side was the owner of the company. After a couple of years dominating the local scene, he took a shot at the big leagues, entering his first-ever IKF Region 11 race at Atwater, California. Rolling up in his humble 4x8 ft Harbor Freight trailer, John went up against some of the best drivers and top American manufacturers like Invader, Emmick, CTS, and Trackmagic—all on their home turf.
By the end of the weekend, John had completely cleaned house, winning both the Limited and Pro 80 Shifter classes. Nobody had ever heard of him before, and now suddenly, everybody wanted to know who this guy was. Right after the race, a father-son duo, Carl Schutte and his sons Eric and Alex, approached John looking for a team to race with. John, still getting his own operation off the ground, wasn’t sure he had much to offer, but Carl wasn’t worried. “Anyone that shows up at their first race and wins everything is worth taking a risk on,” he said. And just like that, Fastech Racing had its first official team members.
Word spread fast, and soon enough, more racers joined—Towns, Stephensons, and a growing list of talented drivers. Before long, Fastech Racing was the team to beat, dominating IKF and club races all over Northern California. But behind the scenes, John was still balancing his racing career with his engineering job, knowing that opening a brick-and-mortar shop wasn’t financially realistic. So instead, he got scrappy, buying an e-commerce website for $50 and hosting it on a budget-friendly $1/month plan. Orders started trickling in, the team was performing well, and things were looking up—except for one thing: John absolutely hated his engineering job.
By 2003, the frustration hit a breaking point. Sitting in his cubicle, watching his spirit wither away, John had enough. He walked into his boss’s office and told him he didn’t want to work there anymore. His boss, trying to keep him from making a rash decision, suggested taking two weeks off to think about it. But during those two weeks, John was knee-deep in orders, packing, shipping, and realizing that maybe, just maybe, he could make this work. He returned only to let his boss know that he was done with engineering for good. And just like that, Fastech Racing became his full-time gig.
As the years went on, Fastech Racing continued to grow. Championships were won, track records were broken, and the team became a staple in the karting scene. But by 2008, John decided to step away from racing and traveling to focus solely on running the business as an internet supplier. And through it all, he has always kept things lean—deliberately keeping employees to a minimum to avoid mistakes, which means an endless commitment of his own time and energy. To this day, John still handles the day-in and day-out operations, from answering phone calls and emails to personally checking each and every order to make sure nothing goes out the door incorrectly.
From a budget website and a passion for racing to one of the most trusted names in the karting supply world, John’s journey proves that when you mix skill, determination, and a little bit of stubbornness, you can turn a hobby into a lifelong career.
None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of Fastech Racing’s customers, especially the loyal, repeat customers who have turned into friends over the years. John deeply appreciates every single one of them, their unwavering support, and the relationships built along the way. He loves them all and is beyond grateful for their continued trust in Fastech Racing.
