4WD: Where are you originally from?Walker: Cedar Lake, Michigan
4WD: Can you tell us about your childhood and growing up?Walker: My father was a contractor and my mother was a schoolteacher. Some of my relatives were farmers, and they let me drive the tractors when I was very young. My dad let me start steering the family car from the time I was 5 years old. I have a younger brother and sister, and I had a good childhood.
4WD: What was the first vehicle you owned?Walker: A '47 Ford with a Chrysler Hemi.
4WD: Who introduced you to off-roading?Walker: I had a friend named Jim Wright who was handling a program for AMC Rambler. James Garner (actor) and John Crean (Fleetwood Motor Homes) were the owners. I helped build the engines at night after my regular job.
4WD: What was your first off-road experience like and what kept you coming back for more?Walker: I was supposed to be a ride-along mechanic in the 1969 inaugural Baja 500 race, but at the last minute John Crean got sick and I got to drive the race in his place and finished Third. I was hooked.
4WD: So when did you decide to race competitively?Walker: When I was old enough to drive, around 15 or 16 years old.
4WD: What types of competitive racing have you done?Walker: Motorcycles, drag racing, boat racing, off-road racing in the desert, stadiums and other short course tracks. Nascar truck racing and extreme rockcrawling.
4WD: You must have had some very incredible moments in your racing career. Can you tell us about the highlights or your most memorable moments?Walker: One of the highlights was winning the 1979 Baja 1000 Overall in a truck and being the first to ever do it. Another one was winning the Mickey Thompson off-road stadium Championship in 1991. Finally, winning both my last race in my 1999 farewell tour year and the CORR championship.
4WD: How many races have you entered, and how many have you won?Walker:I don't know how many races I've entered, but I've won 140 off-road races and 20 championships. In rockcrawling competition, I have won four events and one championship.
4WD: What keeps you going?Walker: I am very competitive. No matter what I do, I want to win.