One thing that “drives” Cole Tuttle isn’t what you expect in a story about a local senior. This guy has a passion that isn’t an everyday “pursuit.” Cole’s competitive determination has pulled him out of adversity, and his need for success has “fueled” him to where he is today.

From the time Cole could toddle around, he had a wrench in his hand. Cole’s family has been racing for years, and it was just natural for Cole to follow in his uncle’s footsteps. He found himself behind the wheel of his first go-kart at the tender age of six, and things took off from there. “I have always found that the sound of a motor humming was calling out to me,” Cole smiled.

But, sometimes, life gets in the way, and sadly Cole’s parents divorced. Cole found himself hiding from the changes in his family, and retreated into a world of isolation and uncertainty. His grandparents realized that Cole needed to be lifted up and reminded that he had a great future ahead of him. “At that time, I had no idea what truly was in store for me. I was a sad kid, but I always knew that my grandparents were there for me. So, I jumped – with both feet.” And that’s where the Gilpin part of this story started.

Cole was in seventh grade when Papa and Grandma (who had lived in Gilpin for a few years) decided to try and get him into the award-winning Gilpin school. At first, he was hesitant, his world was upside down and how would this not make it more upside down? Leaving the only school he’d known, his friends, his last bit of security? But Cole was willing to take a chance, and agreed to see if Gilpin was the fit he needed. It was a bit of a challenge, but Principal Alexis Donaldson saw in Cole the same thing that his grandparents saw, and was willing to take a chance on Cole.

Cole started eighth grade at Gilpin School, and the transformation was swift. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by and immersed in a small, caring environment and he thrived! New horizons and interests opened up, and Cole found himself enjoying things like football and track. “I was lucky. Not only did Coach Hanson see something in me that I didn’t see in myself, but some of the other kids saw it too. Stephen (King) and Blake (Boulter) took me under their wing, and encouraged me to chase that football with determination,” Cole remembered. “Rico (Rayvaughn Amaya-Beard) and Lucion (Amaya-Beard) pulled me into their family, and in no time, I found myself calling their mom, Mom (Catrina Amaya),” Cole said with a big grin.

Cole went on to successfully play football and compete in track (with a dash of weight lifting thrown in for grins) through eleventh grade, and proudly stood on the podium at the state track meet with his teammates in his junior year. And during this time, his academic skills began to shine through. He surprised himself by realizing that he actually liked school, and that realization was reflected in the new-found academic achievements. Under the selfless guidance from teachers who cared about his success, he blossomed.

But his true passion still “idled” right below the surface. He knew that what really made him happy was the hum of a well-tuned engine, the responsiveness of a finely crafted assembly of metal and rubber, the exhilaration of pushing himself just beyond the edge. Gilpin afforded him just the opportunity he was looking for, and he signed up for the Warren Tech Automotive Program at the end of his sophomore year. He found himself in an environment full of others who shared much of his same passion, and he excelled.

Meanwhile, Cole’s skills continued to be on track. He soon outgrew the go-kart scene, and he began racing at the NASCAR track in Erie, fielding an entry in the Legends division. This new car was much more aligned with the schooling he was focused on, that fusion of metal and rubber. His competitive edge, combined with his passion and respect for those who share that determination, quickly “won” him the respect of his fellow racers (many of whom were much older than Cole, and had been racing for much longer).

“The track calls me,” he noted. “When I am elbow-deep in the grease, it makes me feel that I am in my element. But when I am out there, coaxing that machine that I have built right onto the edge, when that checkered flag waves and I know it’s waving for me, well that is a feeling that is indescribable!”

As Cole reflects on the last few years, and how being a part of the Gilpin County School village has helped him to thrive, he is focused on a future that keeps that “rubber to the road.” He is working towards an apprenticeship program with Wagner Equipment which he hopes to start in the summer. He also continues to fine tune that race car, fine tune his skills, and fine tune his future. When asked what advice he has for the world, he replied, “If you can still hear your fears, you ain’t going fast enough!”