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CAREER PROFILE Chris Walker  Chris Walker is an example to an aspiring road racer of how you can make it to the top – and stay there. Walker started riding bikes when he was four years old. Like many of his current road race rivals, he started in the off road world of schoolboy motocross with some help from his dad. He openly admits that the first time he raced a motocross bike at the age of 13 he was ‘shocking’ – but he improved. By the time he was 2, he had finished fifth in the British Championship and had won a few club and center titles. He was lucky to have the backing of the Kawasaki dealership where he was working as a mechanic at the time. He might have stayed in motocross if it wasn’t for the dealership that backed him closing down, leaving him without a machine. He had fancied a go at road racing after people noticed he went much faster on tracks with less bumps. So he bought himself a Suzuki RGV250 to compete in the Formula 400 series. That was in 1994 and he became the Shell Clubmans and EMRA Champion as a novice. He said: “That was enough to get me a Padgetts ride ride in 250’s in 1995. That was my first big break. Up until then I had been riding as a hobby, but then I had a proper supported ride. I still had to work though – because Padgetts were only supplying the bike – I had to cover the fuel and entries. Fortunately though, my prize money covered those costs” Walker finished second to Jamie Robinson in the British 250 Supercup that season but had already caught the eye of the Old Spice Ducati team for 1996. “That was not a great year for me,” explained Walker. “Moving up from a 250 to a Superbike was difficult and whilst I was getting paid to race, I still had to work to get by”. Fortunately for Walker, Rob McElnea had noticed him and was prepared to offer him a chance on the Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha the following year. “That was my biggest break” said Walker “Rob had a spot open with the same backing as Niall Mackenzie. I wasn’t paid that year but I rode well and won some prize money and made some sponsorship deals. It was my first proper ride with a team”. Walker finished second in the British Superbike Championship that year behind his team mate. For the first time he was able to concentrate on his riding full time and give up his day job. The prize money and sponsorship deals gave him a fair wage. He said: “After that I had my choice of rides for the following year and was able to negotiate a good deal with Kawasaki. I was very fortunate. I had a lucky break and it was as simple as that. Just look at Troy Bayliss. Foggy broke his arm and Bayliss stood in on the Ducati. Bayliss now rides in MotoGP having won a WSB title. In road racing there is a fantastic amount of luck involved irrespective of talent.” Walker might put a lot of his success down to luck but its worth remembering he is the one that was having to work during the week and then perform on the track at the weekends before he was noticed. He also puts a lot of his success down to his motocross experience. He said: “The learning curve I had from motocross really helped. It was an instant benefit to line up on track against other riders and already have experience of 30 bikes barreling into the first corner.” Walker cites his podium at World Superbikes at Donington in 2000 when he finished runner up to Hodgson as one of his crowning achievements – along with winning the Le Mans 24 hour race with Steve Hislop. Perhaps his most famous low point was when at the eleventh hour of his BSB title clinching race the GSXR he was riding blew up. In racing the high’s are high but the lows are very low. 2001 saw a move to Grand Prix, but Walker left his Honda team mid season when the results were proving hard to come by. He says that restrictions kept him from getting the best out of the bike. And 2002 took some determination to work through. He raced with a condition called Bell’s palsy. Would you have enough guts to race with part of your face paralysed? And well enough to secure a one year contract to ride Ducati’s in WSB the following year. The Ducati ride resulted in 6th overall. Which brings you up to date. Walker now 31, racing alongside Troy Corser for the Foggy Petrona’s team with all new for 04 bikes. Tune your TV into WSB throughout the year to see how they do. So after a decade in the limelight some last words for the Walkers of tomorrow. “ Keep your head down, keep smiling and remember the good days as well as the bad – they’ll give you support when you need it. Keep enjoying your riding and never lose sight of that. I still ride for fun and enjoyment as much as anything else. Just keep smiling.”
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