Derrick Walker is the "open-wheel version of the NASCAR blue collar success story" says AutoWeek Magazine, and USA Today calls him a "man who has built an admirable racing career on the precepts of patience and diligence." In 2001, Walker enters his fourth decade in the business of racing, and has worked his way up through the ranks from mechanic to owner of a multi-million dollar race team.

Walker has a storied career in and love for motorsports, which began when he watched his first race at the age of five. "I first saw racing, a street race, in Northern Australia in 1950. From that point on I was hooked, more from the mechanic side than driving. Finishing school, I knew what I wanted to be -- a mechanic."

Walker began his career working with Swiss engineer Joe Marquat. "I got into racing, first as a marshal part-time, and then in going to races in the early sixties and seeing the likes of Jim Clark racing and Colin Chapman."

When Marquat left to design racecars in the 1960's, Walker followed in building club-racing sedans and then, at Trojan Ltd., McLaren Can-Am style cars. It was this relationship with Marquat that landed Walker a Formula One opportunity.

In 1970, he joined Brabham Formula One team with Graham Hill as the number one driver and, by the end of the year, Bernie Ecclestone as team owner. Serving as chief mechanic for six seasons, Walker integrated his mechanical skills and strong work ethic with the rigorous discipline and competitiveness of the Brabham team.

In 1976, Walker began his 13-year association with Roger Penske, serving first as chief mechanic for the Penske Grand Prix team. When Penske discontinued that effort at the end of the season, Walker was named general manager of the Penske Cars manufacturing facility in Poole, England, and then moved to the United States in late 1980 to become Penske's vice president of racing, with Rick Mears as his first winning driver. Walker's drivers during this period included Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan, and Al and Bobby Unser. He cites Sullivan's famous "spin and win" at Indianapolis and the PPG Cup title three years later as personal favorite achievements. During Walker's tenure at Penske the team won five PPG Cups, five Indy 500s, and 28 Indy car races.

"I am quite fortunate to have worked for two of the smartest people in racing -- Roger and Bernie," Walker said.

In 1988, it was Walker's interest in taking on even more responsibility that led to his decision to accept the general manager job for the factory Porsche Indy team with Al Holbert, three-time LeMans winning driver and director of Porsche Motorsports North America.

"Obviously, that was a very difficult time," Walker remembered. "What people don't understand is that I wasn't interested in leaving a great job with Roger Penske just to manage someone else's team. I wanted to advance myself and grow in the sport and in business. I recognized that he was a very special person, and that there would be a lot of new, exciting opportunities for me."

However, he could never have imagined the tragic circumstances, which immediately thrust him into the role as team leader. On the morning of Friday, September 30, 1988, Al Holbert flew his private airplane from his offices in Warrington, Pa., (a Philadelphia suburb) to Reading, Pa., to meet with Walker. They agreed on a contract. Holbert then flew on to Columbus, Ohio, where his Porsche IMSA sports car team was in action. That night, Holbert's plane crashed just after taking off from Columbus for a planned return home.

"The Monday after he died, there was a delivery at my house," Walker recalled. "It was a tree, a gift from Al. His note said, "Let's grow together." Unfortunately, we never got that chance."

In 1989, Teo Fabi finished fourth in the PPG Cup standings, and, at Mid-Ohio, scored Porsche's only Champ Car victory. When the German automaker decided to withdraw from the series at the end of 1990, Walker was able to purchase the assets and formed his own team, Walker Motorsports. In a difficult start-up season, he ran a year-old Lola that Willy T. Ribbs drove in nine events during the 1991 season, but also made history by becoming the first African-American to quality for the Indianapolis 500.

In 1992, Walker ran his first full-time campaign in the Champ Car series, and Scott Goodyear earned the team's first race triumph at the Michigan 500. The year is also noted for Goodyear's incredible Indianapolis 500 run where he came from last place to second in the closest Indy 500 finish (0.043 second) in the fabled race's history.

Entering its 14th year of Champ Car competition, Walker Racing owns ten pole positions and four Champ Car victories. The veteran team has successfully campaigned several drivers early in their careers, including Scott Goodyear, Robby Gordon, Christian Fittipaldi and Gil de Ferran, and this year will be running the talented young Brazilian, Mario Haberfeld.

Derrick Walker Career Highlights