Tyler Walker: A Man Who Had Potential To Be Great
Just who is Tyler Walker? Just what happened to the Tyler Walker that won four California state karting championships with 200 victories? At just the tender age of 16, Walker had already moved up to the All Star Circuit of Champions and won seven races in his rookie season. Walker then moved up to the World of Outlaws, winning their Gumout Series in 2002 with 16 wins in that season alone.
It was in fact Walker who started doing the back flip off of his race car before Carl Edwards. Walker began racing in the Truck Series in 2003, scoring just one career top ten finish before being suspended for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy. Where did things go wrong for Tyler Walker? I see a driver that was absolutely a star in the lower series, but struggled in his transition to NASCAR.
Since his suspension from NASCAR, Walker had run mostly in small heat races at local tracks across the country. His last win was the 2011 King’s Royal at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway. However; he had stopped racing for a while due to an inner ear injury that was causing him to have vertigo.
As recently as July of 2012, Walker was involved in an altercation at the Williams Grove Speedway following an on-track incident at a qualifying race. Walker broke a track rule by going off the racing surface. Walker stormed through pit road to the officials stand to scold them for the ruling, but also made obscene gestures to both the officials and fans of the event. Walker was suspended following the outburst. It was ugly. There was a female official that was struck by two different men and Walker threatened to beat up a couple of people. And it was hard to even recognize Walker if you look at his 2007 team photo.
Then there came January 30th, 2012. Walker was arrested after leading police on a high speed chase across three states before police set down spike strips to apprehend Walker. After running over the spike strips, Walker fled on foot, but was apprehended. Police found meth, marijuana, and paraphernalia inside his vehicle. This man needs some serious help before it’s too late. And heck, it might already be too late. But there has been success after stopping drugs. Tim Allen and Josh Hamilton are two examples that I can think of. I wish Walker the best and I hope he recovers and gets his life back.
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: Sprint Cup Class of 2013 – Tommy Baldwin Racing
Established in 2009 by one of the most respected crew chiefs in NASCAR, Tommy Baldwin Racing, (TBR), has been a character study in hard work, patience and squeezing a dollar. As their operation heads into 2013, it appears that the effort may finally be paying off for them.
No.7 CHEVROLET
DRIVER: DAVE BLANEY
CREW CHIEF: TOMMY BALDWIN JR
ENGINES: EARNHARDT CHILDRESS RACING AND PRO MOTOR ENGINES
Veteran driver Dave Blaney returns to the team but will be driving the No.7 car instead of his familiar No.36. The number change is a tribute to Baldwin’s father, Tommy Baldwin Sr, a successful NASCAR Modified Series driver who used the No.7NY all though his career.
The No.7 Chevrolet is also the former No.10 car from the 2012 season. Under the terms of a satellite agreement with Stewart-Haas Racing, TBR prepared the car for a ten race Sprint Cup induction schedule for driver Danica Patrick. Blaney and company will be using the owner’s points earned by the #10 car last year.
There’s also good news for the team regarding a sponsor signing. TBR recently announced that SANY America, a high profile industrial equipment company, will be the primary sponsor for 14 races as well as an associate sponsor for 22 races. The team’s sponsorship profile for the remainder of the 2013 Sprint Cup season is, needless to say, a major focal point.
No.36 CHEVROLET
DRIVER: J J YELEY
CREW CHIEF: TO BE ANNOUNCED
ENGINES: EARNHARDT-CHILDRESS RACING AND PRO MOTOR ENGINES
Veteran driver J J Yeley is set to drive TBR’s second team Chevrolet this year. Right now, the team has a part time schedule with hopes of running all 36 races if additional sponsorship can be located.
Regarding sponsors for this team, TBR recently announced that Accell Construction will be on the hood of the No.36 as the primary sponsor for six races. Golden Corral Restaurants will sponsor all four of the restrictor plate races at Daytona and Talladega, while United Mining Equipment has signed up to sponsor three races.
NASCAR Has the Most Interesting Sponsors In Sports
In the sport of NASCAR, as in many professional sports, it is certainly the sponsors that make it all possible.
But what makes the sport of NASCAR even more interesting is the diversity and uniqueness of the sponsors that have chosen to not only support stock car racing, but to invest in it as an asset to their own market development.
This race season as in the past, several NASCAR sponsors are focusing on fans’ health, using both race cars and trucks to market their unique products. For example, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champ Ron Hornaday has an interesting returning sponsor in Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, a product billed as America’s original, best-selling tobacco-free smokeless snuff.
Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff plans on advertising its wares as primary sponsor on Hornaday’s No. 9 Chevrolet race truck for at least twelve races, starting at Daytona. The sponsor will also serve as an associate sponsor for the remaining ten events in the Truck Series.
“It’s clear that Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff is a young but growing company but I look forward to taking them to the front of the field this year, not only on the race track but in the marketplace,” driver Ron Hornaday said.
In addition to snuff, supplement sponsors are also seemingly hot in NASCAR this year. One recent example is Nutrition53, a health supplement company coming on board to sponsor the No. 30 Toyota driven by David Stremme for Swan Racing.
Nutrition53 is owned by Bill Romanowski, an NFL veteran, who has also joined forces with team owner Brandon Davis to take the race team to the next level and forge a unique sponsor partnership.
“Bill Romanowski understands what it takes to win, which makes him a perfect fit at Swan Racing,” majority owner Brandon Davis said. “Bill is the only linebacker to start in five Super Bowls and he did it playing for four different teams.”
“His leadership skills and approach to successful competition will help Swan Racing become a championship contender.”
“I am thrilled to jump into the NASCAR world as a part owner and as a sponsor,” Romanowski said. “I’m eager to be a part of it.”
From supplements and snuff to construction sponsors, NASCAR again seems to have it all. NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney is one driver who will benefit on the construction side, being sponsored in 2013 by new company SANY America.
SANY America, the sixth largest industrial equipment company in the world, will serve as primary sponsor for Blaney’s #7 Chevrolet for 14 Cup events and will serve as associate partner for 22 races. The company sells cranes, concrete pump machinery, excavators and other heavy equipment.
JJ Yeley, another NASCAR driver, will be sponsored by another equipment company, this one in the mining world. United Mining Equipment will sponsor Yeley for three races, serving as primary sponsor on the Tommy Baldwin Racing #36 Chevrolet.
United Mining Equipment, based in Butler, PA, had their first taste of NASCAR racing at Homestead last year and decided they were hooked. They have signed on for both the Bristol and Kentucky races in 2013.
“United Mining Equipment tested TBR and NASCAR out at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year and really liked what they saw,” Tommy Baldwin, Jr., team owner, said. “By expanding their program this year emphasizes that our program and NASCAR can work for any business category.”
Of course, NASCAR sponsors can also be as diverse as playing safely around rail road tracks to getting lucky in lottery land.
On the railroad safety side, CSX Transportation has announced a new partnership with Front Row Motorsports and driver David Ragan to remind fast to “Play It Safe” around rail road tracks. The company will be the primary sponsor on Ragan’s No. 34 race car throughout the 2013 season.
“It’s important for all of us to be safe around railroad crossings and tracks,” Ragan said. “Far too many incidents occur each year simply because people don’t recognize the danger associated with taking unnecessary chances around railroads.”
“I’m glad CSX is bringing the issue to the forefront of the NASCAR fan base and I’m honored to champion their message.”
For some race fans, while safety is critical, they would also like to be just plain lucky. That’s why the Florida Lottery has decided on sponsoring Tommy Baldwin Racing for the three races that will take place in the Florida area.
“We at TBR are so happy to have the Florida Lottery back for the Daytona 500, the summer Daytona race and the season finale at Homestead-Miami speedway,” Baldwin, Jr. said. “It’s a great program for us as we help spread the word about the Lottery and their program.”
And finally, there are even sponsors who just want to be involved for the good of the order. One such sponsor ‘want to be’, PETA, is looking to get on the hood of a race car and they have a particular one in mind.
PETA has their sights set on NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who has some available space on his hood. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has postulated that since Junior cares about four-legged critters and since he has some blank parts on his car that this could potentially be a match made in charity sponsor heaven.
“PETA knows that Dale cares about animals and we’d love to have his help in fighting the animal overpopulation crisis in North Carolina and across the US,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said. “A spay and neuter message on the No. 88 could inspire millions of NASCAR fans to take the simple but lifesaving steps of ‘fixing’ their dogs and cats.”
Yes, indeed, from PETA to the Florida Lottery, NASCAR most surely does have the most interesting sponsors in the world of professional sports. And that is what makes the cars on the track go round and round.
Something to Prove! Vickers Looking for a Banner Year at JGR
There was a time when Brian Vickers was on top of the mountain. In 2003 at the age of 19, Vickers was hired by Hendrick Motorsports to replace Ricky Hendrick behind the wheel of the No.5 GMAC Chevrolet. In August of that year, Vickers would get his first taste of victory in the Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park holding off Jason Keller by 2.296 seconds. Wins at Darlington and Dover would follow and Vickers would become the youngest champion in Busch Series history as he would hold off David Green by 14 points to claim the Busch Series championship.
Also that season, Vickers would makes his Sprint Cup Series debut at Charlotte that October starting 20th and finishing 33rd. 2004 would mark Vickers first time season in HMS’ No.25. Vickers would go on to finish 25th in points and score four top 10’s that season. 2005 proved to be a much more successful campaign as Vickers would score a 17th place finish in points to go along with 10 top 10 finishes.
2006 was a breakthrough season for Vickers after finishing a solid 7th place in the season opening Daytona 500. Vickers would claim his 1st NSCS win at Talladega in October that year but not without some controversy. On the final lap Vickers, who was running third, would bump then teammate Jimmie Johnson causing both Johnson and race leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. to spin out allowing Vickers to score the victory. Vickers would finish 15th in points while scoring 9 top 10 finishes.
2007 was a season of transition for Vickers as he would move over to the newly formed Red Bull Racing. After missing 13 races in 2007, Vickers went on to finish 38th in points. 2008 saw a season of improvement for Vickers and the Red Bull team as they would score a 19th place finish in points after recording four top 5’s and six top 10’s.
2009 proved to be Vickers finest year to date in the Sprint Cup Series. In August of that year, Vickers would score his second career NSCS win at Michigan International Speedway. Days after the win, Vickers signed an extension with RBR. Vickers would secure his first ever chase berth in 2009 and finish a career best 12th in points.
May 13th, 2010 was the day Brian Vickers life changed. Prior to the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover, Vickers was diagnosed with blood clots in his legs and around his lungs and would not be medically cleared to drive that week at Dover. Days after being released from the hospital it was announced Vickers would miss the remainder of the 2010 season.
Vickers would return to action with RBR in 2011. But it was a struggle all the way around for Vickers and Red Bull as Vickers would score a 24th place finish in points. At season’s end, Red Bull shut its doors and Vickers was a man without a ship.
In March 2012, Vickers luck would start to change for the better. It was announced that he would drive Michael Waltrip Racing’s No.55 part time that season. Vickers first race in the No.55 car was at Bristol in March. The Sheriff, as he is called in the garage, wasted no time proving he was back and better than ever. After starting 25th, Vickers would dominate for a lengthy portion of the Food City 500, leading 125 laps and scoring a top 5 finish. Vickers would drive in seven more races during the 2012 season and would record two more top 5 finishes (Sonoma,Bristol) and four more top 10 finishes. His performance in MWR’s No.55 can be directly attributed to Joe Gibbs Racing signing Vickers to drive the No.20 Dollar General Toyota in the Nationwide Series in 2013 as well as a contract extension to drive the No.55 on a part time basis for MWR.
2013 could be the year that finally returns Vickers to highest level of racing in the sport full time. The Sprint Cup Series. It is already rumored that Vickers is a leading candidate to drive the No.55 full time for MWR in 2014 and has been linked to several other top rides throughout the series. With top quality resources and equipment behind him at Joe Gibbs Racing and added seat time with MWR it will be absolutely no surprise to see Vickers contend once again for the Nationwide Series championship in 2013 and it is just a matter of time before he lands another golden opportunity in the top series of NASCAR. 2013 could be a storybook season for one of the real “good” guys in the sport.
Race City Engine School Opens in Mooresville
Mooresville, NC (February 2, 2013) – Have you ever wanted to learn how to build your own engines? That is exactly what Forster Fry wants to teach you to do. Fry is a former NASCAR engine builder, formerly employed by Richard Childress Racing and former owner of Fry Racing Cylinder Heads, and was inspired to start an engine school right in the heart of racing.
Race City Engine School, located in Mooresville, NC, offers a quick and efficient way to teach you how to build engines. With a hands on learning approach and one-on-one teaching experience, you will learn everything you need to know in just one weekend.
In two days you will learn every step of engine construction and will be confident in your knowledge. Not only does this class teach you the fundamentals of engine assembly, it will teach you the secrets to keeping your engine running for years. Fry believes that racing is much more fun when you know how to build and race your own engines. This is exactly what he taught Late Model Stock Car driver David Scites, who Fry taught to build engines and helped build race winning engines for though out his career.
“You will learn more in two days than you would in years,” says Fry. “Get started on the right foot and save all of the blown engines and money. I am sure you will save the price of this school on your first engine build. Everyone needs a teacher, I had one, now you have one.”
Race City Engine School offers a weekend class so it does not interfere with your busy work schedule. With six students or less per class you get plenty of one-on-one time with the instructor, so all of your questions get answered. You will be building engines within your first hour of class.
At Race City Engine School you will have the proper equipment, the right instructor, and will gain an incredible amount of knowledge in a short amount of time.
For more information visit . Be sure to “like” Race City Engine School on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @racecityengines.
Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch Will Benefit Most From Gen 6
The Gen 6 race car that has been brought before us may not bring every single NASCAR fan back into the sport, but it is a good start. Like Lance Armstrong’s confession to performance enhancing, it might be too late, but it is a never late than never scenario. Which driver out of the Sprint Cup field will capitalize out of the gate?
It occurred to me last season in the Bud Shootout, now the Sprint Unlimited, that the younger drivers don’t handle change really well. Remember when we had the two-car tandem? We could shove drivers pretty much anywhere on the race track without much threat of causing a big crash unless if we were talking the final few laps, but who caused the Lap 9 pileup in the beginning of the Shootout when we reverted back to pack racing? Drivers like David Ragan who were excellent plate racers in the prior year, so in my opinion it will be the veteran drivers who will be shining beginning with the Sprint Unlimited.
As you already know, Jeff Gordon is coming into this season with tremendous momentum after scoring his first career victory at Homestead in the season finale. The last time Gordon won the season finale back in 1998, he went on to score 7 wins the very next season, but some bad luck did put him back further in the standings. I think this is the year for Gordon to shine and have a shot to win that Chase title that has eluded him since 2004, but he may not be the only guy looking for that extra boost. Terry Labonte pulled it off back in 1996, Gordon still has the fire and push to do the same. I see Gordon racing until at least the 2016 season if his stats are up to par.
Many race analysts would say that Kyle Busch had a “dismal” 2012. I wouldn’t say that Kyle had a “dismal” year. Last year in the Cup series for example, Busch could have easily had 3-4 wins in the bag if not for gas mileage. Busch was one of the earlier critics of the COT even saying during his 2007 victory lane speech after the Food City 500 that his car “sucked.” For those of us that have been covering Kyle Busch since his rookie season in 2005, it amazes me that this will be his ninth season in Sprint Cup. I think he has a legitimate shot to win his first title this year, but of course you can never count out Jimmie Johnson and now defending Sprint Cup Series Champion, Brad Keselowski. I’m excited as anyone to see who will earn the first checkered flag of the 2013 season.
NASCAR has answered the fans calls for change and I finally have faith that the old racing we have all come to love and cherish is back to us. Who do you think is the early season favorite?
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: The Sprint Cup Class of 2013 – Kasey Kahne
DRIVER: KASEY KAHNE
No5 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET
CREW CHIEF: KENNY FRANCIS
ENGINES: HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
Kasey Kahne enters his second full season with Hendrick Motorsports and the anticipation level is very high for this team. Kahne came on strong in the second half of the 2012 season and finished the year with a pair of wins, 19 top ten finishes and a healthy average finish ratio of 13.
One of the major positives going for this team is the fact that the super chemistry between Kahne and crew chief Kenny Francis will remain intact for 2013. Both men are well on their way to superstar status in this sport and team owner Rick Hendrick is well aware of it. That’s why he has both men signed through the 2015 season.
The sponsorship program, for Kahne’s No.5 ride, appears to be very strong for 2013. Farmers Insurance returns as the primary sponsor for 22 races. Other primary sponsors on board include Quaker State-4 races, Time Warner Cable-4 races, Great Clips Hair Salons-3 races and Pepsi Co for one race for a total of 34.
Regarding the remaining races on the schedule, there are reports that says Trina Solar, a Chinese solar panel manufacturer, may be the the primary sponsor for the remainder of the races. However, this has not been officially confirmed. If needed, Hendrick Cars (Dot) Com is available to take up any sponsor slack.
Keep a sharp eye this year on Kasey Kahne and his #5 team. They have all of the makings of becoming major players in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship.
