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(Steve Lafond Photo)
Walker Rebounds from Nasty Spill to Finish 4th in Salute to Walter T Ross
By Gary Costa
Calistoga, CA - (May 23-24, 2009) – The SC Motorsports Team pulled into the hallowed grounds of Calistoga Speedway to race with the Golden State Challenge Sprint Car Series. The event would be a two-day show held over Memorial Weekend at the historic ½-mile Speedway.
Going into the event the Scott Chastain owned mount has been on fire as the LA masher has won 4 out of the last 7 Golden State Challenge Series Sprint Car events held thus far.
The NMI Industrial Contractors, Shark powered No. 24 would unload in the Calistoga sun as the point's leaders in the series, holding the slimmest of margins over Jonathan Allard. The previous weekend the team put it to the field by leading all 30-laps at the Tulare Thunderbowl.
Saturday night, Walker would qualify sixth out of the 21-car field turning 17.610. He would then go onto finish second in Heat No. 3. By Walker getting through his heat race, he put himself in the all important dash where he finished third.
The 25-lap main event had Walker lineup third on the inside of Bud Kaeding. When the green light went on around the racetrack, Walker became a missile in the No. 24 and immediately put himself in the second position. However on lap-7, while moving through lapped traffic, he was pinched into the wall going into turns 1-2. With a full head of steam, he clipped the wall and took a violent series of flips. The car was a little less for wear, but thankfully Walker walked away.
"When he was flipping, he was as high as the top of the fence," crew chief Lee Lindgren said. "It's a real testament to the Hans device and ButlerBuilt seats. His hip was a little bit sore, but that's about it."
Without hesitation, the SC Motorsports Team immediately went to work so that they would be able to race the next day. They pulled down the spare car and dropped another bullet in. The team went over everything with a fine toothed comb to make sure everything was safe and ready for Walker.
Sunday, Walker circled the speedway turning 17.575. What didn't work out for the team would make for an exciting night for the fans as his qualifying time would immediately put him behind the "8-ball". Walker went onto finish fifth in Heat No. 2.
By missing the dash, Walker would have to start 13th and things were starting to look bleak for the LA shoe. But when the green flew Walker was on the methanol and making moves. The SC Motorsports driver was locked and loaded and tearing through the pack. Walker and the team never gave up and eventually finished fourth in a hard fought race.
"We will never give up, no matter what the circumstances are," Lindgren said proudly. "What happened Saturday is part of racing. We will just keep soldiering on and drilling away. I'm real proud of Tyler and the whole SC Motorsports team for never giving up!"
Tyler Walker will do battle this Friday at Ocean Speedway and then Saturday, it's onto Placerville Speedway. Walker won the last GSC race held at Ocean Speedway on April 25th.
Be sure to stop by the re-designed Tyler Walker website www.tylerwalker24.com Danny from Drem Web Designs www.dremwebdesigns.com has put in a lot of work in the website and it looks fantastic!
SC Motorsports appreciates support from A Better Valley Crane, Stainless Distributors, NIEMANN'S Auto Touch, Inc., VMAC Racing, YAK Graphics, Impact racing, Racing Optics, BR Motorsports, Snap On, Izzie's Body Shop, TriCo Welding Supplies, Weld Racing, TP Wings, ButlerBuilt, JEI and Shark Racing Engines.
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