Ken
Walsh, far lane, finished runner-up in PX at the ADRL Dragstock event,
pursues his second SUPER CHEVY Nitro Coupe title in Bristol this
weekend. (Roger Richards)
During the Sept. 25-27 Super Chevy Show at Bristol Dragway,
Pro Mod racer Ken Walsh will lock up the 2009 Nitro Coupe championship,
something that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows him.
For the 28-year-old, racing has been a way of life for as long as he
can remember. In fact, his nickname, “The Kid,” comes from his time
spent at race tracks while at a young age. His 1963 Corvette leads the
Nitro Coupe charge to Thunder Valley, and when he leaves, Walsh will
own his second consecutive class championship.
Walsh’s father instilled the car bug in his son, taking him to drag races at an early age.
“THE KID” SET TO WRAP UP SECOND CONSECUTIVE NITRO COUPE CHAMPIONSHIP IN THUNDER VALLEY
Ken Walsh, far lane, finished runner-up in PX at the ADRL Dragstock event, pursues his second SUPER CHEVY Nitro Coupe title in Bristol this weekend. (Roger Richards)
During the Sept. 25-27 Super Chevy Show at Bristol Dragway, Pro Mod racer Ken Walsh will lock up the 2009 Nitro Coupe championship, something that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows him.
For the 28-year-old, racing has been a way of life for as long as he can remember. In fact, his nickname, “The Kid,” comes from his time spent at race tracks while at a young age. His 1963 Corvette leads the Nitro Coupe charge to Thunder Valley, and when he leaves, Walsh will own his second consecutive class championship.
Walsh’s father instilled the car bug in his son, taking him to drag races at an early age.
“My dad is a drag racer,” Walsh said, “He’s been a drag racer on a local level. I’ve been around it my whole life. Dad is a car collector as well, so I’ve been around the drag racing scene my whole life.”
Drag racing and car collecting collided with Walsh and his father building a unique racing machine that led to Walsh’s introduction to Super Chevy competition.
“My dad collects 409 cars, so we built a race car out of one,” Walsh explained about his 1962 Chevrolet Impala. “I’ve been called Mr. 409 ever since.”
The car, also called Mr. 409 and often included in Super Chevy’s exhibition session, raises its left front wheel far off the pavement as its chassis bends due to the extreme torque of the engine on the launch.
“That car is a lot of fun and it is even more fun to race,” Walsh continued. “I know people just like to see it because it is a change of pace, but I enjoy racing anything. Anything with wheels I’ll take down the track. If it’s got wheels, I’ll take it to the line.
“Every race is different. Every day is different. There are new challenges at the race track. Your work is never done.”
It is this dedication to the sport that has paid dividends for the Purcellville, Va. native. He collected his first Nitro Coupe championship in 2008, his rookie season. When asked about the task of backing up the championship, he is quick to give credit to his crew.
“It is a lot of hard work,” he said. “Even one championship was tough. It is unbelievable to get one, but to get two back-to-back means we worked hard. Our team works together well and we have good equipment and a good team. It means our team is just as efficient this year as it was last year.”
Earlier this month, Walsh and his crew made their debut in the American Drag Racing League Pro Extreme division. Walsh finished with an impressive second, beating some of Pro Mod racing’s biggest names in the process. The result proved he is a force to be reckoned with in the future.
“It was the fastest field ever for the ADRL,” he said. “It actually was the fastest doorcar field in the history of racing. We qualified number 10 and went to the final round. It was our first ADRL event and we came out with the runner-up spot. It was a really successful event for us. It is usually considered a win just to qualify for an ADRL event. There are some really professional teams there; it is tough competition for sure.”
While it may be tempting to switch to the ADRL, Walsh plans to stay loyal to the Super Chevy tour.
“Roger and Bill Gustin with Super Chevy do a great job,” he said. “We’ll be a Super Chevy participant at all of them there. Any ADRL event that falls on a weekend that is not on a Super Chevy, we will probably attend those.
“Super Chevy is a great event in every area. The Nitro Coupes are the wildest doorslammers in the world to try and pilot down the track. You never know what to expect. Every run can be different.”
Walsh enjoys his place in the professional session. With the Nitro Coupes, Bob Hall’s wheelstander and jet cars, the Super Chevy show pro sessions are some of the most exciting parts of the weekend. Walsh hopes his role in the pro session adds to the excitement for the fans in Bristol.
“I try to concentrate just on the race,” he explained, “but it is a great feeling before you strap in to know that it [the pro session] is one of the main features people came through the gate to see,” he said. “You try to do the best you can for the spectators. The reason they bought a ticket is to come see a show, and you try to do your best to give it to them.”
“Bristol is one of my favorite tracks we go to. It is always good, the facility, the layout are great. When we are there it is prepped great and the track accommodates us well. It is one of the nicest tracks we go to.”
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