---
title: "This 13-Year-Old Genius Designed a Formula 1-Inspired, Six-Wheeled Tyrrell Go-Kart"
description: "The sweet-looking kart is modeled after the Tyrell P34 racer that competed in the 1977 Formula 1 season."
date: "2019-05-08"
modified: "2019-05-08"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/27878/this-13-year-old-genius-designed-a-formula-1-inspired-six-wheeled-tyrrell-go-kart"
categories:
  - "F1"
  - "News"
  - "Racing"
---

# This 13-Year-Old Genius Designed a Formula 1-Inspired, Six-Wheeled Tyrrell Go-Kart

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/05/Screen-Shot-2019-05-07-at-5.08.37-PM-min.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

A 13-year-old kid from Ohio is responsible for building one of the [coolest go-karts](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/21043/this-combination-of-barbie-car-and-go-kart-can-reach-70-mph>) we'ever seen hit the track: a miniature replica of the Tyrrell P34 Formula 1 race car, which wowed fans with its unorthodox during the 1977 F1 season.

Gene Lin is his name, but he actually goes by "The Hamster." Lin is the youngest student at [Genius Garage](<https://geniusgarageracing.com>), a 501 C3 non-profit from Bowling Green, Ohio that aims to provide students with a shot to careers in the automotive and aerospace industries. According to the video below, Lin found out he had a talent for drawing cars sort of by accident—after Genius Garage founder Casey Putsch motivated him to try out the school's drafting boards during a visit to the garage. After [honing his skills](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/4151/five-things-i-learned-at-skip-barbers-advanced-racing-school>) on paper and practicing on clay models, Lin was eventually given the green light and his six-wheeled go-kart project began.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BucXWvoBHdy

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxGhI2BhSfV

As the video shows, Lin, Putsch, and crew recently headed out to the track to fire up the mini Tyrrell and see what it's capable of. After a brief video introduction, in which Lin says that he goes by the Hamster because he is "small and stupid," the kart is brought to life and Lin begins to lap the tarmac.

We're not gonna lie, that big 'ol thing isn't very fast, but [outright speed isn't what's being highlighted here](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/20451/man-who-built-death-kart-exocar-killed-after-head-on-accident>)—it's ingenuity and engineering. The fact that this 13-year-old has accomplished a cooler feat than many of us old folks is pretty darn awesome. Throughout the seven-minute-long video, Lin and Putsch can be seen tooling around with the kart and going for a few sessions out on the track, and each time, Lin returns to the pits with a smile on his face.

Keep it up, Hamster!

https://youtube.com/embed/PVKmHzuKnCw

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)