Joe was born in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California. His father was a pilot with a passion for all things mechanical, including trains, planes, motorcycles and drag racing. Maybe this is where Joe found his love for motorsports.

After high school Joe joined the California Army National Guard and worked at a mechanic and wrecker driver on weekends. During that time he got involved with local racing clubs and did a few Time Trails with the Porsche Owner’s Club of Southern California. But he quickly realized that he needed much more money so he decided to go to college. He enrolled at a small community college in Los Angeles while doing part-time jobs ranging from car mechanic to modelling.

While in college and unable to race he turned to student activities. He quickly became the president of the student union. A short time later became the Region VII (Los Angeles) Chairman of the California Student Association of Community Colleges. With such leadership experience wide support among student leaders he was elected as the representative of student interests to the non-voting seat on the Los Angeles College District Board of Trustees. This gave him exposure and experience in the California political scene since he was working along side elected politicians responsibe for running the largest college district in California. At the same time he also earned a seat on the legislative committee of the California Community College Trustees Assosiation, the only student ever to do so. The appointment gained him a unique opportunity to experience the inner-workings of a powerful lobbying organization in the California state capitol where he was often asked to lobby senators for support on education related legislation.

After completing his term in office and completing his 2nd year of college he took a year off to work full-time in order to save money for his next big adventure. Joe got accepted to Temple University in Philadephia, Pennsylvania and immediatedly applied to the study abroad program. His next stop was Tokyo, Japan to study Asian politics and history. With a year in Japan under his belt he moved to London, England to continue (and widen) his education. He focussed on British history and European integration.

During his stay in England he took several trips within Britain and in continental Europe getting as far south as Italy, as far east as Russia and as far north as Scotland. But his love for Asia called him back to Tokyo to complete his studies in Political Science.

While still a student in Tokyo he was hired to teach English to business people for such global companies as Mobil Oil, J.P. Morgan, Kao cosmetics, Renown, Lion, The Development Bank of Japan and Temple University itself.

Upon graduation he was hired by an international school and taught grades 1-12. During that time he became a qualified examiner for British Council and eventually launched the Cambridge Young Learners Exams in Japan for British Council. He also completed his M.A. TEFL/TESL with The University of Birmingham.

Joe continued working as a primary school teacher but his passion for motorsports reignited and he began racing karts on weekends from the middle of 2000 to early 2007 amassing 20 wins and 4 chamionships along the way.

In early 2007, after 15 years in Japan, Joe decided to move back to America but found both he and America had changed. He taught in a summer program for visiting foreign students in Los Angeles and supplemented his salary on weekends working as a racing coach.

He only lasted a summer in the US before returning to Asia again, this time South Korea’s capital, Seoul. He taught public primary school there for a few years before deciding to it was time to switch to teaching college. He moved to GuangZhou, China, first to teach at PeiZheng College, then for South China Normal University’s accounting college run jointly with the University for Southern Queensland, Australia. But Joe’s passion for motorsports never left him. During his stay in GuangDong province he became a frequent visitor of Zhuhai International Circuit, so when he saw a chance to teach at a university in close proximity the circuit he jumped at the opportunity.