Meet the Garmin Pit Crew, the driving force behind our new Catalyst Driving Performance Optimizer
Creating innovative motorsports technology is more than just a job with this crew. It is a passion they’ve shared since most of them were too young to drive. It is this common bond that brings them together at Garmin to engineer and develop solutions for drivers who want to clock faster lap times on the track. Let’s meet the team!
Gareth
Recalls:
“My involvement in motorsports began at 2 years of age with my first motorbike ride. I have competed in motorsports for nearly 20 years (off road and on road, bikes and karts) and I was a motorsport journalist for 10 years as well. I have also won England’s Brain of Brands Hatch race twice.”
Enjoys:
“I take pride in being able to spot any racetrack on the Garmin Catalyst™ device by looking at a single corner.”
ADAM
Recalls:
“Motorsports has become a big part of my life and has now become part of my career. I have been an enthusiast from a young age and whilst living in England, I made a regular pilgrimage to Le Mans to watch the 24-hour race. I started driving at the first opportunity and have not looked back since.”
Enjoys:
“I participate at an amateur level. My current vehicles include an early MX5/Miata powered by a V8 Corvette engine and a 125cc shifter kart. Last year, I logged track time in vehicles ranging from exotic supercars to Radical SR3s. I have competed in Autocross, SCCA/NASA road racing and endurance racing. I also instruct other new racers with various organizations.”
JAY DEE
Recalls:
“I have always driven sporty cars. At the end of 2015 I acquired a 526-horsepower Mustang GT350 and quickly realized I could not experience its full potential on public streets. I attended Ford Performance Racing School and was hooked.”
Enjoys:
“I now have over 100 track days and instruct High Performance Driving on Grand Prix-style road courses.” Jay Dee was named NASA Central Region Instructor of the Year for 2018.
ANDI
Recalls:
“As a young boy, I started following various racing series, such as Formula 1 and Le Mans. Later I got involved with working on my own cars — modifying them to make them run better and quicker overall. Today, my track car is a 380-horsepower Ford Focus ST.”
Enjoys:
“Early on, I started watching the VLN endurance racing on the Nordschleife in Germany. After the first visit, I knew I wanted to do that. Eventually, I became a Trackday driver at the Nordschleife, as well as the Salzburgring in Austria.”
MIKE
Recalls:
“My performance driving career started in 2018 when Jay Dee and I went to The Porsche Experience at the Atlanta airport. I had hot-rodded cars before, but not cars with incredible acceleration, traction and braking. I was hooked.”
Enjoys:
“To work on my driving skills, I purchased a modified BMW M2 as my track car.”
COLE
Recalls:
“I first got involved in racing while attending school, which led eventually to my becoming a design lead on my university’s Formula SAE team. After graduating, I turned my focus toward racing my own car in our local SCCA Rallycross events.”
Enjoys:
“I want to keep exploring my passion for racing, both on and off road.”
GRIFFIN
Recalls:
“Growing up a couple miles away from GM’s proving grounds, I have been interested in cars and the auto industry almost my whole life.”
Enjoys:
“I have had the opportunity to drive many fast cars after getting my license. I have since purchased a Camaro SS 1LE that I’m excited to take on the track. I also follow Formula 1 and have been getting involved in sim racing.”
JARROD
Recalls:
“I have wanted a Mustang ever since I was a kid. A couple of years ago I finally got one.”
Enjoys:
“I love adventure. And it is certainly an adventure learning how to get better at performance driving.”
JOE
Recalls:
“In my years at Garmin, I have developed an interest in sim racing, for which I purchased my own setup.”
Enjoys:
“Today, I enjoy the continuous learning of how to get faster in the sim world and developing technology that helps real-world drivers get better faster.”
DAVID
Recalls:
“Since starting at Garmin, I have taken a deep dive into the world of motorsports.”
Enjoys:
“I am working with technology that gives drivers direct insight into how to improve without the hassle of crawling through mounds of data.”
MITCHELL
Recalls:
“In school, I was focused on computer science engineering. I have always enjoyed participating in hackathons and working on cool tech projects.”
Enjoys:
“I am really passionate about applying technology to make people better at the things they love to do.”
QUINN
Recalls:
“Other families spend holidays watching parades or classic movies on TV. But my family watches reruns of the Mecum Auto Auctions instead.”
Enjoys:
“I have always enjoyed studying anything mechanical or electrical and applying what I have learned to our products. Also, one day I’m hoping to take home that red Miata I see whenever I drive by the Mazda dealership.”
TOM
Recalls:
“I caught the driving bug back in high school, while helping my father and grandfather restore an MGB and a Triumph Spitfire. During my university days, I joined our Formula SAE team, designing and building cars from scratch with 600 cc motorcycle engines.”
Enjoys:
“Today, I am an avid Formula 1 fan.”
CONTACT THE CREW
Do you have any inquiries or technical questions? Please contact us at
[email protected], or click here.
