In pursuit of 2004 Champ Car World Series
Ride
source: Walker Racing Public Relations
Michael Valiante and Walker Racing team owner Derrick Walker
are joining forces in a sponsorship-seeking effort aimed at producing a 2004
Champ Car World Series ride for the Vancouver driver, who is currently a
championship contender with Lynx Racing in the CART Toyota Atlantic series.
Under the collaborative association that the two parties announced today,
Valiante and Walker plan to pool their resources to extensively explore all
sponsorship possibilities. If they are successful in rounding up sufficient
financial support, Valiante would land a ride with Walker Racing, adding to the
team's stable of talented young drivers for the 2004 season.
"I have watched Michael develop his skills tremendously in his Toyota Atlantic
Championship career, and I have consistently been impressed by his talent,"
said Walker. "His record shows that he's in contention virtually every race
weekend. He won the season-opener at Monterrey, he was on the podium in Portland
and had a fourth-place finish at Molson Indy Toronto last weekend. He has shown,
by his performance this season that he's more than ready to make the step up
to Champ Cars, and we would consider ourselves fortunate to have him driving for
Walker Racing."
In a motor-sports career that spans four decades, Walker has worked with a
number of notable drivers who have won open-wheel races and championships under
his watchful eye. The list includes Scott Goodyear, Gil de Ferran, Robby Gordon,
Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan and Teo Fabi. Walker also helped Christian Fittipaldi
and Sarah Fisher in their open-wheel racing debuts.