Home Other Series Racing Featured Other Series Tyler Walker: A Man Who Had Potential To Be Great
Tyler Walker: A Man Who Had Potential To Be Great
Ryan O'Hara
Tyler Walker in 2007. (Getty)
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.
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Ryan O'Hara is the Senior Writer of FightNights.com and is recognized as one of the top boxing writers in America. He is also a former Fox News Radio news anchor and TV Producer for several networks. O'Hara graduated with his Masters in Human Security in 2017 with a 3.7 GPA and also obtained his Bachelor's Degree in 2015 in Global Security & Intelligence Studies -- all from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. O'Hara is also a former college ice hockey player and skates in his free time. Follow him @OHaraSports on Twitter!
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Jeff May 23, 2018 at 12:29 AM
I think that his eyes are too far apart.
Butch Camp December 14, 2017 at 7:39 PM
I met Tyler Walker at the Chili Bowl several years ago He was standing in line at a concession stand said he had to get his girl friend a corn dog she had never had one I asked why he didn't have his fire suit on he said I couldn't get a ride I said You didn't get a ride man I understand me not getting a ride but you? Unbelievable he said well sometimes it happens this way This was before any of his troubles He was very nice & personable I enjoyed meeting & talking to him
Ryan O`Hara February 5, 2013 at 3:05 PM
"Walker then moved up to the World of Outlaws, winning their Gumout Series in 2002 with 16 wins in that season alone." Got to look at the whole thing dude.
And that lady was called some pretty derogatory things, I would have done the same. All in all, Tyler Walker needs help.
Didn't notice I didn't have gumout in there before hand. Thanks to the editor.
mike February 4, 2013 at 5:13 PM
Get your racing history right dude! Tyler ain't got an outlaw championship or 16 outlaw wins and his big win was the kings royal at eldora. He was a great talent at one time I still remember watching him as a little kid when he was in the airsep 35 car. He unfortunately continues to get good rides after all the shit he's pulled and he's now a mediocre driver at best. Also you can't give Tyler all the blame for the incident at the grove he stood up for himself like he should of but he did take it too far and that chick smacked someone else first she was a first class idiot.
Andy Clark February 4, 2013 at 5:09 PM
There are some factual errors in this article:
1st: Tyler Walker never won a World of Outlaws Championship. He did win their Gumout Series(2nd Tier Series). Only true Spint Car champions ever win the World of Outlaws Championship like Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz, Danny Lasoski, Sammy Swindell, Jason Meyer,etc….
2nd: Tyler's last win was the 2011 King's Royal at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway. This is a much bigger win than the one in the article and occurred much latter than your listed "last Race".
3rd: Actually, the woman security officer you mentioned was the one who did the "striking" and I believe she was fired after the incident.
Just would like to suggest that you check facts before putting false things out on the internet. Actual newspapers used to do fact checking all the time and it really do make the stories more valuable plus Tyler has enough problems of his own causing without careless internet stories causing more..
Note form the editor: Thank you for the corrections!
Tony Geinzer February 4, 2013 at 6:01 AM
I think Tyler Walker's tale is a cautionary tale, to say the least and it is one who could have tore up IndyCar or Sprint Cup if he was on the Straight and Narrow. No, he is not Tim "The Toolman Taylor" Allen and I don't see anything amusing with this sad saga.
Agreed. The altercation video I spoke of I found through Jeff Gluck. If you take a look at it…it's quite shocking how much he has changed.