NASCAR Winston Racing Series Mehanic of the Year: Dennis Walker
1 October 1997
MIDWEST REGION'S DENNIS WALKER WINS TRUE VALUE MECHANIC OF THE YEAR DAYTONA BEACH, FL - (Sept. 29, 1997) - Dennis Walker, of the Midwest Region's West Liberty Raceway in West Liberty, Iowa, has been elected by his peers as the 1997 NASCAR Winston Racing Series True Value Mechanic of the Year. Walker, 41, of Riverside, Iowa, becomes the first Iowa dirt track racing mechanic and crew chief to win the national True Value Mechanic of the Year Award. A record voting year, the accomplishment comes seven years after Walker first traveled to the NASCAR Winston Racing Series banquet in Nashville, Tenn., to be recognized as a regional winner. A crew chief for his brother Terry, Walker will receive bonuses totaling $6,500 at the Nashville banquet, which includes $5,000 for the national title and $1,500 for being the Midwest Region winner. "We race in a tough division at West Liberty," said Walker. "It takes a team effort, and I'm not the only member of the team. Our car is always competitive and we're usually there at the end." The NASCAR Winston Racing Series' prestigious NASCAR True Value Mechanic of the Year program continues for its 12th consecutive year by posting $20,000 in awards plus travel/accommodations to the annual NASCAR Winston Racing Series Banquet at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. True Value, the Official Hardware Store of NASCAR, recognizes a local winner at each of the nearly 100 NASCAR Winston Racing Series tracks, ten regional winners, and one national winner. The 1997 NASCAR Winston Racing Series Regional winners include: Region Winner Track Location Atlantic Seaboard Darrell Poe Caraway Speedway Sophia, NC Blue Ridge Eddie Pope Hickory Motor Speedway Hickory, NC Great West Scott Hans Colorado National S'way Erie, CO Heartland Dennis Millert Lakeside Speedway Kansas City, KS Mid-America Shane Tesch Raceway Park Shakopee, MN Midwest Dennis Walker West Liberty R'way West Liberty, IA New England Robert Demling Riverhead Raceway Riverhead, NY Northeast Mike Gaston Old Dominion Speedway Pacific Coast Steve Teets Cajon Speedway El Cajon, CA Sunbelt Ken Howell Jax Raceways Jacksonville, FL Poe, 45, of Bear Creek, NC, is a veteran engine specialist who won his second consecutive True Value Mechanic of the Year regional award, and his third straight local award. Poe was busier than ever this season, as he has 16 engines in cars racing in several divisions at tracks in the Carolinas and Virginia. Pope, 34, of Statesville, NC, is a first-year crew chief who started out working on sheet metal and tires. The season is only Pope's third season in racing and his second season with the JM Motorsports Late Model Stock Car team, which is operated by April Garcia and John Michaelowski. Hans, 34, of Englewood, CO, has been with team owner and driver Richard Burton since he was 11 years old. A first-time winner of the award, Hans' dedication and commitment to the team is shown week-in and week-out as he works on virtually every part of the Late Model car. Millert, 52, first got into racing when he opened Specialty Automotive and Performance auto repair shop in Kansas City, KS. Now, after working in the shop during the day, Millert devotes his evenings and weekends to building and servicing racing engines for several teams. Tesch, 23, attended the Motorsports Training Center in Mooresville, NC, before starting his Tesch Racing Chassis in Jeseli, MN. Even at his young age, Tesch is gaining experience as a crew chief for Roger Meyer, and quickly building a reputation for fast, professionally built cars. Demling, 31, of Ron Kon Koma, NY, is crew chief for driver Chuck Steuer, who won the 1996 track championship and placed fifth in this year's tough track points race. Demling's experience also includes work on the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour with current NASCAR Busch Series driver Steve Park. Gaston, 26, learned his trade at a service station in his teens. Two years ago Gaston founded Gaston Motorsports in Manassas, VA. The company builds and repairs race cars, does fabrication, and sells oval track racing parts and supplies. Teets, 32, is a former NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour competitor who traded his helmet in to be a crew chief. Now working with Jerry Gay's Sportsman Division team, Teets also makes his living in racing, and founded Short Track Race Cars in California nearly one year ago. Howell, 49 proved his worth this season when Ronnie and Sue Robin's team won seven races with three different drivers at the unique D-shaped dirt track. The Jacksonville, FL, resident is a field service technician for heavy equipment, and as a result often has spare parts and technical advice for his fellow competitors. NASCAR licensed mechanics participating in the NASCAR Winston Racing Series are eligible for the award through a two-part selection process. Ballots for the Initial 1997 voting process appeared in the June "NASCAR Magazine," the Official Publication for NASCAR Members, with the final ballot in the August issue. By NASCAR Public Relations
