With six consecutive wins under his belt so far this season, it’s no secret that Chris Walsh has been a dominant force in the TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School championship. The driver of the No. 104 Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M2 CS has had an impeccable campaign thus far in the TCX class, and he has every intention of keeping the winning streak going.
“It’s been quite a year so far,” said Chris Walsh. “It's kind of crazy because I wasn't quite sure if the season was going to come together before we even got started. I’m very lucky to have a team like Carrus Callas Raceteam behind me and to be helping get me track in the first place. Their support has been really critical to getting this thing off the ground.”
Walsh has dabbled in SRO competition over the years, but this year marks his first full-season effort, and he has been quick to prove himself as a fierce competitor.
“This has been a very exciting project,” he expressed. “To have immediate on-track success has been gratifying. I always felt like I had the capability to perform this well, but it's been nice to be able to prove that to myself.”
When preparing for a race weekend, Walsh has used a very thorough and tactical approach for himself; “I work full time as an Air Force Special Tactics Officer, so I've been doing special operations stuff for a long time and all those things have really crafted the way I approach my competition preparation. I spend a lot of time making sure no questions go unanswered and I try to cover all potential aspects in order to be ready for all different scenarios.”
He is also no stranger to the pressures of being a high-performance athlete, having previously competed as a professional bobsledder.
“I tried out for the U.S. bobsled team back in 2018, and started competing with them full time in 2019. I made it to the Olympic trials, and that experience I gathered at the most elite level of sport was vital. I learned a lot about how to hone in on my skill set, and how to apply a very meticulous and disciplined approach to training. I also learned so much about the importance of teamwork, building a good team environment, and how to work together as a group to be successful. Now as a driver, I can drive as fast as I want, but the car has to be right, so being able to cultivate a good team atmosphere is important.”
“I also spend a lot of time in the simulator,” he continued. “That has been a big help for me when coming into a new track and knowing how to hit my marks. I also do a lot of physical training to make sure I stay fit and can remain focused throughout each race.”
Although he holds a perfect score with a tally of 150 points after the first six rounds, Walsh recalled how some races required him to dig a little deeper in order to claim the top step of the podium.
“The opening race weekend at Sonoma was a battle to the front, I had to work extra hard for those wins. To secure two back to back wins at the pro level was a big opportunity for me, especially since it's a track I'm not very familiar with. It was nice to be able to get up to speed quickly and find the rhythm I was looking for early on. It was a similar experience in COTA, and having to deal with the various strengths and weaknesses between two different manufacturers, BMW and Acura, and managing the pace while having to chase the car ahead.”
Walsh has his sights firmly locked on clinching the TCX title, saying that “we definitely want to feel the championship as soon as we can. That's the goal. I have some personal goals and things I want to accomplish in regards to the number of wins I can achieve for the year.”
Long term, his ambitions and objectives are to continue progressing into faster machinery, a plan that is already in motion as he is also partaking in the Pirelli GT4 America championship alongside Nicholas Shanny in the No. 20 Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M4 GT4 G82.
“I’m just trying to learn and get faster in order to help my co-driver and be competitive in that series,” he elaborated. “My goal is to step up into faster cars, and one day I would like to be in the GT3 ranks. That’s where I'm hoping my career heads and I would like to compete in races internationally, such as the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.”
When looking ahead to the remainder of the season, Walsh is particularly looking forward to visiting VIRginia International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park.
“VIR is my favorite racetrack. The guys on the team love it too, so I'm really excited for the end of July. Barber is also cool because it's new on the calendar. It's a fun track and I think it will be good for touring cars, so it should be really enjoyable.”
The action will resume at VIR from July 19th to 21st for the seventh and eighth rounds of the season, with tickets on sale now.