DERRICK WALKER, General Manager

Walker has more than 40 years of racing experience and 18 as an IndyCar racing team owner. Few racing executives bring the knowledge and racing savvy of the personable Scotland native.

USA Today described Walker as "a man who has built an admirable racing career based on the precepts of patience and diligence." Walker has climbed the racing ladder from a mechanic to a winning race team owner. Now, Walker oversees the operation of Ed Carpenter Racing in the team’s initial season, and team is headquartered in Walker’s racing facility in Indianapolis.

In addition, Walker’s organization also campaigns a team in the American Le Mans Series with the Falken Tire GT effort. The team won last year at the Baltimore Grand Prix with drivers Wolf Heizler and Bryan Sellers.

Walker’s initial motorsports involvement came when he took a position with an engineering company, Cortune Engineering Ltd., preparing customer sport racing cars. In 1970, Derrick was hired as a second mechanic with Ron Tauranac on the Motor Racing Development LLC., better known as Brabham Formula One and later served for five seasons as a chief mechanic.

Walker moved in 1976 to Penske Cars Ltd. where he began his 13-year association with Roger Penske, serving first as a chief mechanic for the Penske Grand Prix team. Walker later was named general manager of the Penske Car manufacturing facility in England before moving to the United States in late 1980 to become vice president of racing. Walker's drivers at Penske Racing included Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan, and Al and Bobby Unser. At Penske, Walker's cars and drivers won five series titles and Indy 500's and 28 IndyCar wins.

In 1988, Walker accepted the general manager position for the factory Porsche Indy team with Al Holbert, three-time LeMans champion and director of Porsche Motorsports North America. Sadly, Holbert died in a plane crash before the partnership could begin. In 1989, Teo Fabi finished fourth in the PPG Cup standings, and, at Mid-Ohio scored Porsche's only Champ Car victory. In 1990, Walker formed his own team, Walker Motorsports.

During his 22 years as an owner, Walker has made 390 race starts, earning 13 poles and five wins, running the likes of Gil de Ferran, Robby Gordon, Scott Goodyear, Christian Fittipaldi, Sarah Fisher, Darren Manning, Rodolfo Lavin, Alex Tagliani, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power.

In 2006, Walker Racing expanded into a complete open-wheel development program including in the Champ Car World Series, Champ Car Atlantic and Formula BMW USA. Walker later fielded a Firestone Indy Lights car as well.