Stompin Tom's News Page

Stompin Tom is a candidate for The Hall of Fame

As many of you know at the Canadian Motorsports Expo back in January Tom won the Inside Track award for the most deserving driver to be inducted into the hall of fame. Below is the article that has been written for the hall of fame with a video and pictures from the award ceremony. We will hear if Tom is going into the hall of fame in October. Thank you all for your votes and continued support.

If you ever take the time to realize how much effort, dedication and desire it takes to win a single championship in motor sports, then you cannot help but acknowledge the amazing accomplishments of Tom Walters, better known as "Stompin Tom". A nickname that would be bestowed upon him early in his career, by the former Sunset Speedway announcer, Doug McClelland.

Tom has been trading paint on Southern Ontario's short tracks for 40 years. His approach to oval track racing has, to date, carried him to a total of 28 division championships. And continues carving out a remarkable career. With a storied racing past, he continues to keep on building a legacy, year after year and showing no signs of slowing down.

Tom at the Canadian Motorsports Expo Awards

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When you have a conversation with Tom about racing, there are two things you will walk away knowing. The first is how passionate Tom is about racing and secondly is how fortunate Tom feels to be able to continue to race every year. With so much support over the years from friends, family and sponsors, many of which eventually turned into life long friends. It would make for a perfect recipe for success throughout the years.

Tom Walters' first competitive endeavour came courtesy of a racing neighbour, (Ron Valinga) and a soggy start to the 1970 Sunset Speedway Season. Tom was literally on his way to the corner store when he spotted his neighbour in the garage working on a race car. Tom would stop and talk to Ron about racing, and had his curiosity peaked. Ron had invited Tom to ride up to the track with him. After three straight rainouts, Ron had gotten fed up and sold Tom the car, and that is how it all got started.

It certainly didn't take Tom long to learn the upside of racing, capturing his first race win at Sutton Speedway, later that year. Taking stock of his new found passion at the conclusion of his first full season, Tom was determined to continue competing. Spending the next few years keeping himself busy racing at various tracks, up to three times a week, Wasaga Beach on Saturday nights, Sutton Speedway on Sunday afternoons and then Sunset Speedway on Wednesday nights.

Late in 1975, Tom made the trip to the heart of the local oval scene, Pinecrest Speedway, for the first time, racing an eight cylinder stocker. But when Pinecrest closed, Tom would return to Sunset Speedway, where he raced faithfully until 2002.

In 1977 it would be Don Biederman that would give Tom a valuable piece of advice that he carries to this day. With a hammer in hand, Biederman would come to Tom's car and remove the rear view mirror out the car along with these words, "without this, you will be a better racer".

Back at Sunset, Tom became the protégé of another Ontario short track legend, Tom Milligan. Tom had leased a motor from Milligan to race against him, and then 5 weeks later chose to purchase the motor. Each week, racing each other harder then the week before. But come Monday afternoon, it would be Tom Milligan, Nate Salter, and Tom Walters joining Alfie Carter at Karbelt where he worked to discuss the racing of the past weekend.

In 1979, Tom took the controls of his first, brand new late model. It was a camaro bodied Late Model, built by Jimmy Ward, and that would be the start of Tom's new winning style.

The 90's had turned out to be an incredible decade for Tom. From 1990 thru to 1998, Tom would win the Sunset Speedway Late Model Championship Title every year. In 1991 and 1992, Tom would go onto win the Molson Export Super Series Championship title. In 1993, The Goodyear Challenge Cup Series Champion title belonged to Tom. Then in 1997, the ALSTAR Series would be created. Tom would go onto win the overall point title, in its first year 1997, and an unprecedented 2 more times in 2000 and 2001, battling with the best drivers the region had to offer.

Going into the next decade, Tom would continue on with his winning ways, taking the Sunset Speedway Late Model Championship again in 2000 and 2002. With showing no signs of slowing down, in 2005 another series would be born, containing a lot of new challenges within the series. It would be the Lucas Oil Inaugural Weekend Warrior Series. This series would involve over 160 other registered drivers from every track in Southern Ontario. In 2005, Tom would battle all season long in Barrie Speedway with long-time rival John Gaunt before being crowned Barrie Speedways Champion and 2005 Weekend Warrior Conference B Champion, but the battle was far from over with the Lucas Oil Overall Championship title still on the line. Tom came from behind with two clutch performances at Flamboro and then the season ending finale at Peterborough to win the Inaugural Lucas Oil Series Overall Champion.

In 2006, once again, Tom would seek out the challenges of running two race tracks full-time, Kawartha Speedway on Friday nights and Barrie Speedway on Saturday nights, and like so many times before, Tom would prove, his competitive edge, winning the Kawartha Limited Late Model Championship and the Barrie Speedway Limited Late Model Championship. Tom again would win the Kawartha Limited Late Model Championship in 2008.

In 2009, it would be the final Championship at Sunset Speedway that Tom would win on the old configuration of the racetrack. In 2010 Sunset Speedway would be given some new asphalt and a different layout including progressive banking. This certainly made a new and interesting challenge that Tom would remain on top of, racing a total of 3 different cars in 2010 and still managing to take home the Sunset Speedway Limited Late Model Championship. In 2010, there would be a McColl Racing Limited Late Model Touring Series, involving 4 racetracks. Tom made his way to all the races, Sauble, Barrie, Sunset and Peterborough and secured the McColl Racing Series Championship in 2010.

Every year, Tom is able to give back to his fans and supporters as a good will ambassador for the Ontario South Simcoe Special Olympic Athletes. These programs give special athletes the opportunity to stay active and socialize in the community. In 2009, Tom would also be involved with Project Track Champion, which is dedicated to the promotion of accessibility for persons with a disability in the racing environment. Project Track Champion is committed to creating, promoting and securing measures to remove barriers that would normally restrict a person with a disability from having an interactive roll within the racing community and other non-related venues.

In the end, if you asked Tom the question, how long will you keep racing? You will always get the same answer. "As long as I can be competitive and my body will allow, this is what my passion is."

Stompin Tom Walters has etched a place in history within the racing world, and it is with great pleasure, watching Tom race every week with so much passion and desire.