Tyler Walker (racing Driver) - Recovery & Relapse (2007-2012)

Recovery & Relapse (2007-2012)

Following his abrupt suspension from NASCAR, Walker spent the next several months out of racing. He returned to competition in the USAC Series at the famed Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway, finishing eighteenth in the final overall running order. He attempted several races in 2008 in the World of Outlaws Series in the #24T entry, but failed to qualify for many of them, and only getting one top-ten finish, a ninth-place finish, at Manzanita Speedway. Walker did achieve victory in a heat race in the Mini Gold Cup at the Silver Dollar Speedway. He also ran a USAC race for RFMS at Terre Haute Action Track and finished 19th. Walker made limited appearances in the USAC Silver Crown series in 2009 with the #23 Vance Racing team. His ultimate result was a fifth that came on July 23 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Walker was contracted to drive the Mike Heffner #27 entry in Pennsylvania to start the 2010 season in various sprint car series. After decent finishes, he left the Heffner car, and was hired by Keen Motorsports to race the 17 Peterbilt sponsored car in 2011, primarily concentrating in 410 Sprints. By switching rides, Walker traveled out of Pennsylvania to follow the World of Outlaws on occasion. Walker was victorious in two 410 Sprint events at Port Royal Speedway and Grandview Speedway. On July 16, 2011, Walker won the famed Kings Royal race in the World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway (owned by Tony Stewart) in Rossburg, Ohio, taking home $50,000 for the win. Walker left the Keen team in August 2011 while competing at the Knoxville Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa. It is reported that he left the Nationals and the team due to an inner ear issue which was causing him to have Vertigo and he felt he was unsafe to drive a race car. He went back to California to recover but never did rejoin the Keen Motorsports Team. The Keen Motorsports Team had since hired driver Brian Leppo of Pennsylvania.

At the beginning of the 2012 series of competition, Walker returned to 410 Sprints, this time piloting the blue and red #35 car. On July 5, 2012, Walker was involved in an altercation at the Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania following an on-track incident during a qualifying race. After breaking a track-specific rule involving going low (in his case, to avoid a wreck), Walker stormed through the pit row to the officials' stand to yell at officials for the ruling, cursing and gesturing towards officials and fans along the way. The altercation escalated to a fight in Walker's pit (though not directly involving Walker) between security and one of Walker's crew members. For his outburst, Walker was suspended for the race. He would go on to win the next race he competed at Port Royal Speedway. He took his #35 to World of Outlaws competition, where his best finishes were 14th at Knoxville and in a cruel taste of irony, Williams Grove. In 2013, he went midget racing for Josh Ford in the #73 car, with sponsorship dollars at the generous donation of Spike and Bob Wirth Chevrolet. He attempted two events at Tulsa Expo Raceway, but was charged with "Did Not Start"s for both events as he had failed to qualify.