SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1310482
Dawn of Glory Sold, lost, then found again, this 1970 Ford F-100 gave Walker Evan’s his first taste of truck-racing fame by Stuart Bourdon Photography By Stuart Bourdon and Dan Sanchez A prominent race promoter once said that he firmly believed off-road truck racing began on ranches, farms, and construction sites, as two guys wagered after work to see who had the fastest pickup. In the case of Walker Evans, that is exactly where his long and successful career in off-road racing began. Evans owned a construction business in Riverside, California, and it’s a sure bet he was one of those guys with the fastest truck. If you’re any sort of off-road racing fan, you know who Evans is. With a sturdy build and a style all his own, topped with his classic cowboy hat, Evans stands out in a crowd. His easily recognizable 1978 Dodge Ram pickup race truck left dust and other competitors in its wake as he drove it to numerous victories, including the historic overall four-wheeled vehicle win at the 1979 SCORE Baja 1000, and several season championships. When the spotlight shifted from Class 8 to the new and unlimited Trophy Trucks in 1994, Walker stepped up to the challenge. As a team owner and driver, he fielded as many as four race trucks (two 8s and two TTs) for several seasons and continued winning. In the Beginning Evan’s Dodge Ram truck played a big part in the early days of off-road racing, but that wasn’t his first race truck. Long before the famous Dodge pickup was built, he got his start driving something completely different. “I was talking with a neighbor and friend of mine, John Crean, founder of Fleetwood RV in Riverside, California. During the conversation, he tells me that there are 10 AMC Ramblers being built over in Hemet to run the very first Baja 500, that James Garner was involved with,” said Walker. “He suggested that I should come out and see what they’re doing.” “I went down there, and they were cutting the wheel wells open to fit bigger tires, dual socks, adding big lights, roll cages and other safety equipment. I looked at them and said ‘wow, I have to be a part of this.’ Well, I eventually got into one of the driver seats, and I finished third in that race,” said Evans. “The thrill of driving all night with high-intensity lights blazing, not knowing where you were going…that was for me. There weren’t course markers then, you just went from town to town. I was immediately hooked on off-road racing.” Unfortunately, after that race, the team was dissolved, and the cars were sold off. Evans was out of a ride at that point. First Taste “I had my first taste of off-road racing, but now had no race car,” said Evans. “I remembered seeing Bill Stroppe with his Ford Broncos and race trucks, and when I talked to him, he told me to go buy a truck and he would help build it.” Walker went out and found a 1970 Ford F-100 pickup that he bought new for about $3,000. “When I took the truck over to Stroppe, he looked at it and said, ‘it will do, now put it over there (an open space in his shop) and start taking it all apart.’ What I realized was when he said he would help build it, it really meant he would tell me what needed to be done, and I would do the work myself,” said Evans. “I was good with that.” The 1970 Ford pickup was Evan’s first off-road race truck and he remembers everything that was done to it to make it race-ready. “I was still an independent [racer], but Stroppe was pitting for me,” said Evans. “I won the first race, then the next one. During the third race, we had a little problem and I finished in second. After that Stroppe said to me, ‘why don’t you sell that pickup and drive one of my trucks.’ Well, I did just that,” said Evans. “I started driving for Stroppe, and sold the Ford pickup truck to James Garner. He raced it for a while, and we became good friends.” Time Passed Evans kept driving the Stroppe trucks and went on to acquire nine straight wins. After that, he raced a Chevrolet pickup for Parnelli Jones. Out of the 15 races Evans ran in the Chevy, he won 11 of them. “When the Parnelli deal finally went away, I thought I have raced with some of the best and won a lot of races, but now I need to get back to my construction business and focus 100-percent on it for a while,” he said. “I sort of retired (laughter) in 1975. It wasn’t too much longer that Dick Maxwell from Chrysler came along and began talking to me about racing a Dodge pickup, and as they say the rest is history.” Lost and Found Throughout all those later years of tremendous success, Evans never forgot about his first Ford F-100 pickup that he built in Stroppe’s shop. Garner had sold it a few years after buying it from him, but after that, the trail had gone cold. As time moved on, Evans was approaching his 50th birthday. Evan’s wife and biggest racing fan, Phyliss, ramped up the search for the original F-100. Determined to surprise him with that first truck, she eventually found it with a lot of work and a miracle or two in between, as she put it. Phyllis recalled how the truck was not in great shape, as it had been parked for some time. Much had been changed over the years, and it was barely recognizable, but at least it was in one piece and she presented it to him on his birthday. Evans kept the truck in storage until the restoration began over the last few years. The 1970 Ford F-100 looks as pristine as it once did when it was first prepared for off-road racing. Evans spoke reverently about that truck, and with a great amount of pride about the off-road racing champion’s very first race truck. SPECIFICATIONS Vehicle: 1970 Ford F-100 Owner/Driver/Builder: Walker Evans Engine: Ford 351ci V-8 (original, Ford 302ci V-8) Transmission: 3-speed automatic Chassis: Stock 1970 Ford F-100 frame Axles(front) Twin I-Beam; (rear) Dana 44 Wheels: 15x8-inch American Racing Mags Tires: Goodyear 35x11.50x15-inch MT/R