2009 Roy's Overall Season Results
Roy won the NZ GP at Kihikihi this year.
The results from Speedfest were published for April which was the last
meeting Roy competed in away before Queens Birthday weekend.
The season ended up in Auckland, for the fewer race meetings Roy
competed in this season, as 3rd for highest points in Race 1 and 2nd=
for the Feature race for the season. So that was a great achievement.
Roy's getting the car ready for the up coming
season with a few changes.
He's looking at this stage to competing in the North Island Champs at
Rotorua Dec 27+28 and the NZ Champs held at Baypark Jan 1+2 2010.
2008 Roy's Overall Season Results
Auckland Saloon Club had a Ball/Prizegiving Saturday night. An awesome night, with live entertainment.
Roy won 4 Trophies.
They had a projector on the wall, showing all the winning Saloon Cars.
They called up all the winning drivers to the front, then called out the individual Trophy winners.
Most points for the season for Heat 1 Races - Roy First
Most points for the season for Heat 2 Races - Roy Second
Most points for the season for Heat 3 Races - Roy Third (due to accidents, didn't always finish Heat 3 races)
Most points Overall for the Season for Saloons 1st - Steve louden, 2nd Roy Walker, 3rd Nigel Ross
A great finish out of about 30 registered cars in Auckland, Racing with 20-25 cars every meeting.
Nth Is Saloon Champs, King Of the Park & Auckland Saloon Champs 2008
North Island Champs Huntly in March,
Race 1, Roy moved up through the traffic from about grid 7 to finish about 3rd.
He got called up to race control and advised his car was backfiring over the decibel limit. He advised them he could only patch it but would have it fixed properly for the second night?
Race 2 he was doing really well and got to the front again, following a Huntly car backfiring and all over the track. The black flag came out and everyone thought it was for the Huntly car, but no it was for Roy. He was very upset and tried to get this overturned to no avail. The Huntly car was the vice president and there was much discussion in the pits and on the discussion board of what a disgusting raw deal he got from Huntly. Murray guy even said his poodle popped louder!!!!
We were devastated again and thought, man SNZ must have it in for Roy.
Sat 29 March - Next race meeting was the King of the Park.(17 cars)
He had nothing to loose and gave everything. He raced hard and fast and got to the front...few positions every time. He was sitting 2nd on points for the feature and drew grid 2 to run off the front with 1 NZ Phil Towgood, what an awesome sight, Roy had the jump on Phil but then he passed Roy. Roy chased him hard to finish 2nd and pressured Phil. Fantastic night to finish 2nd in the King of the Park. He received a trophy at prizegiving and Phil said how well he drove and made it hard for him. The crowd cheered the most for Roy's finish. See video Thank you again to petrolfumes!
Sat 5 April - Auckland Saloon champs, (23 cars)
Heat 1 he started from last grid 21 and finished 5th. Amazing feat with all those cars and a lot of crashes happened.
Heat 2 started 11th and finished 2nd...another race full of crashes etc.
Heat 3 he was tied on points with Phil Towgood 1NZ, Roy off grid 1 and Phil off grid 4(unfortunately), what a race, Roy led for nearly the first half of the race until a yellow flag came out for an incident then Phil was right there. He made a pass on Roy and he wouldn't give in, neck and neck. they came to the next pit corner and came together, Phil coming out the victor overtaking Roy. Roy didn't give up and gave him a run for his money again, more yellow flags and apparently some wrong grid positions given to some racers, on the final lap Roy went wide and Michelle Wymer from Bay Park moved inside him to finish 2nd, Roy 3rd but got 2nd overall on points for Auck Champ. He received a big blue sash and another big trophy. Great stuff.
On checking the club points Roy is lying 2nd overall for the season and top points scorer for Heat 1 races. Looks like he'll get more trophies at Auck prizegiving 10th May.
Nth Is Saloon Champs at Huntly - 14 & 15 March.
Roy is entered in North Island Champs at Huntly 14 &15 MarchIt was rained off 15 &16 February 08...
There were 3 groups of 12 entered. Roy's first race he was off grid 8 and passed a few cars to be up trying to get past 2NZ Brent McClymont. Unfortunately his power steering pump packed up and he could hardly steer the car into the corners, 1 car got past him and he couldn't wait to see the chequered flag come out and finished his race 5th position.
His next race was going to be off grid 2 which would've been great, unfortunately the rain came and even though they tried to wheel pack the rain was persistent and they finally called the meeting off, to the Saturday, and again it rained and was then rescheduled to March 14 &15.
His power steering pump had been taken back to Auckland and was fixed ready for the Saturday race but unfortunately it didn't happen.
The Auckland Saloon champs are on 5 April. He is entered.
He is now having withdrawals from racing as he hasn't raced since Huntly a whole month ago as Auckland was rained off also.
Roy entered the NZ Saloon Car Champs 11 & 12 January 2008 Waikaraka Park (Report below)
Roy (Inchman) Walker, who was racing at Taipa’s 2 day meet 29 & 30 December 2007, to make sure both his car and himself are performing at their peak, entered the NZ Saloon Car Champs held at Waikaraka Park, 11 & 12 January. (See report from this event below.)
Roy started his racing career at Waikaraka Park back in 1976. He drove a couple of stockcars, then a Holden Monaro saloon. Roy won the Auckland Saloon Car Champs in 1980.
Roy had a break from racing, and then he first raced at Taipa in 1995 with a Rover Super, but changed to Limited Saloons, his Holden, and now his Corvette.
This Chev 355 powered Corvette was purchased during the latter part of 2006 and debuted New Year at Taipa. Roy has multiple wins under his belt for Limited’s, Super Saloon’s, and Taipa Club Champs. He won the Northland Champs 2006 for Men’s Limited’s, and Easter Stampede Men’s Limited Trophy at Kaikohe. He holds the fastest time trials trophy and the Glyn Quilter Memorial Trophy for Fastest Limited and Super Saloons at Taipa Stock and Saloon car Club.
Roy has made many memorable moments for spectators with his inch precise passing manoeuvres, and the odd memorable moment when it didn’t come off. Roy rolled his white Holden Super Saloon on its first day at the Taipa track and Pip Jecentho donated his Taipa Demo Derby winnings for a new body.
Julie Graydon has been racing Roy’s cars since 1992, and has multiple championship wins herself. Julie holds the Taipa ladies fastest time trial trophy, the Northland Champs Ladies Limited 2006, Easter Stampede Ladies 2006 Limited Trophy at Kaikohe, and the Taipa Club’s Ladies Limited Champs.
Roy has been the furthermost competitor, traveling from the home he shares with Julie on the Karikari Peninsular, in the Far North, to Auckland for the last 6-7 weeks to compete at Waikaraka Park. Roy has consistently achieved top 3 placings, and has been handicapped to the back of the grids for the last 3 race meetings. On one occasion he came from ¾ lap behind the starters to win the race, right on the line. It was fast, spectacular driving, and under the lap record at times. Roy is the driver that has passed the most vehicles on the track.
With 15-20 cars each race, he has not come through unscathed, and this has resulted in some damage at times.
NZ Saloon Car Champs – Waikaraka Park 11&12 Jan 2008
Taipa Stock & Saloon Junior, Daniel De Waal, was the first of the club ‘Inchman’ supporters aboard the Mobil Coopers Beach, and Far North Marine Brokers, sponsored minivan that travelled to Waikaraka Park last Saturday night to watch the NZ Saloon Car Champs three heat final.
Roy (Inchman) Walker was touted, by the Champs organizers, to be spectacular and hard to beat when his #61a doesn’t crash, and to be one of the best out of the Northland Region, prior to this inaugural event. But that said, they felt the favourite with an A on the side, would be #48a, Phillip Towgood, who hails from the Coromandel.
Roy attended the drivers function on Thursday night which was a casual meet and greet for all drivers participating in the NZ Saloon Champs, a bit of a get together for all the drivers.
On Friday he had his car scrutineered by Speedway NZ and passed with flying colours.
He was in White group for qualifying heats with 17 cars in total.
Race 1 he was grid 5 and 15 laps long, he was driving very cautiously trying to stay out of trouble and managed to overtake all the cars and finished 1st. All were all thrilled to bits and this relieved the nerves and tension.
Race 2 he was off grid 14 at the back of the field, so was very conscious of keeping his car from any incidents, there was an incident in the race bringing out the yellow flag, which made the field tighten up. He then had the chance to pass numerous vehicles without incident to finish in 8th position. Well done.
All he had to do was finish race 3....
Race 3 he was off grid 8 and was going along well passing some other vehicles in about position 4-5, until a Bay Park car hit him on the pit corner, this was okay until the next lap where this same car hit him in the same place, quite hard and they became tangled together with the other car driving him onto the infield. Other cars went past and then they came free and Roy resumed the race only for the yellow flag to come out as there had been another incident. The yellow flag was out for a considerable time before a marshall pulled him onto the infield and advised him that he had a flat tyre which he couldn't race on. This meant he received only 1 point for the race. He came in and protested but the referee did not discipline the Bay Park driver, amazingly to everyone that saw this bad incident.
He was lying 8th equal from the qualifying races, he needed to be 6th to go through.
This meant he now had to run off in the repercharge race, starting off grid 3. Only the first car went through to qualify for the final NZ Saloon title. He tried for many laps to get past another Bay Park car but this car seemed to be blocking his passing manoeuvres. The track was very hard slick and dry. Unfortunately he could not get past.
The same car that took Roy out in Race 3 managed to cause an incident resulting in 1 car rolling and others crashing.
As we can all imagine he was gutted. He did so well, and through no fault of his own, did not get the chance to compete for the title.
A special thank you to all his sponsors and crew who helped him and to his support fans in the crowd from the Far North.
The NZ Saloon Car Champs title was won by #48a Phillip Towgood.
Daniel and the crew were entertained by other grades during the evening: ministocks, standard stocks, and the ever exciting and spectacular super stocks, which were lapping as fast as the super saloons amid their throaty roar chaos.
So, maybe next year Roy!
Links to Saloon Car Champs videos can be found on our links page here
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