It was 1969. Actor and racing enthusiast James Garner had teamed up with industrialist John Crean to produce a factory-backed AMC off-road racing program. Together, they had ten AIR SC/Ramblers in Baja, Mexico, and Walker Evans was one of the many mechanics who helped them build engines at night—after his regular job. But when a driver for the American International Race Team fell ill right before the inaugural Baja 500, Walker was put behind the wheel… He finished third!

“From my motorcycle experience, I could read the terrain, and was also a pretty good mechanic. It all fit together,” he went on to explain. A third place was impressive for someone who had only raced on motorcycles on the flat track at Ascot, as well as some desert events. Evans wanted to continue the momentum; he wanted to race. But when Garner’s team disintegrated, the driver was left with no ride. Walker Evans began looking for ways to get involved in a two-wheel-drive pickup, like how AK Miller and Mickey Thompson did for Bill Stroppe.

And so, he spotted a one-year-old Ford pickup in a wrecking yard and went to Stroppe with a proposal to rebuild it. But that idea didn’t really work because Stroppe was only building new vehicles, and so he encouraged Evans to approach a dealership with a stripped-down half-ton plan for about $2,800 or $300 down and $120 per month. Without too much thought, the young man signed the loan. Stroppe also kept his word and immediately worked on the vehicle, and it wasn’t long before Evans was able to cover his first three payments with all the parts they had removed from the truck while rebuilding it. Soon, his truck was painted in the Stroppe Team colors, and he entered the 1970 NORRA Baja 500 production two-wheel-drive pickup class.

The race was a stacked one with names like Mickey Thompson and AK Miller, but Evans outdrove them all to win his very first race in his new truck! However, the legend had been struggling with health issues in recent years and died on Saturday at the age of 86. No cause of death has been revealed.

He is survived by his wife Phyllis and son Evan, but the family has not released any statement yet.

After decades of hard work, by 1995, Evans became one of the off-road racing team owners who created the base of NASCAR’s truck racing series. He competed in 41 NASCAR races and had four top-10 finishes, but later on, he decided to go back to his off-road roots in 1999. He returned to the Baja peninsula in 2010 with his restored Class 8 Dodge. However, his contribution to the sport hardly ended there.

Evans and his wife, Phyllis, were outstanding entrepreneurs too. Along with their longtime crew chief, Randy Anderson, they founded Walker Evans Racing. They brought wheels and shock absorbers into the off-road market, and the company also produced shocks as a valued OEM UTV and snowmobile supplier to Polaris and many others. In 2023, Polaris purchased Walker Evans Racing.

His passing reminded race fans of his glory days; how he would don a white cowboy hat—something that became a part of his persona—though he never really rode a horse or had a ranch.

Walker Evans: Fans mourn the loss of a legend

Many still remember Walker Evans for conquering the Baja 1000 or fielding Dodge trucks in NASCAR’s early Truck Series days. Though age caught up, it never slowed his vision. Even in his 80s, Evans was closely involved with product design and development. He became less of a public figure and more of an industry elder, mentoring engineers and racers from the sidelines. And so fans took to social media and wrote:

• “Lost another legend.”
• “The Walker Evans-Parnelli Jones battles were epic.”

Evans and Parnelli Jones were longtime friends and competitors. Jones had passed away on June 4, 2024, at age 90. He was a member of the inaugural ORM HoF Class of 1978. In fact, Evans was also inducted into the HoF in 2004. And though he had retired from full-time off-road racing in 2000, he couldn’t really stay away from all speed, the mud, and dirt! So he got entangled in extreme rock-crawling: Think about Johnson Valley, California.

No wonder Evans also influenced Parnelli Jones’ son, PJ Jones’ career. He took to Instagram and wrote, “I cannot tell you how much this man meant to me ! I knew him for all my life. He was a big influence in my Racing and business. He went on all my rides and was so gracious to everyone ! I will miss you @walkerevans20 ! RIP .. i’m sure you and my dad are planning your next trip up in heaven!”

Fox Sports’ Mike Joy wrote, “Sad news. Reading Walker Evans has passed… one of the greatest off-road racers, and a founder of Nascar’s Truck Series. One day he was sorting out handling at a short track and I asked about it: “If they’d just put a jump in the backstretch, I believe I’d be fine.” RIP, racer.”

Evans was a living legend who promoted Dodge trucks through the 70s, 80s, and 90s. In fact, his fans back in the day believed you could hear Walker before you could see him!

Even racer Clint Bowyer reacted to the news about Evans’ death: “Sad day! Walker Evans was not only a hero of mine but became one of my favorite people to meet up with every Aug in Sturgis. So many laughs and good times! Won’t be the same without him. Rest easy my friend.”