4/15/2016
Tyler Nelson
2016 Season Begins for Tyler Nelson Racing
2016 Season begins for Tyler Nelson Racing
Tyler Nelson
TURN RIGHT to GO LEFT by: Dave Clark
Tyler Nelson just celebrated his 19th birthday and is looking forward to his 10th year as a Race Car Driver. As I write this in March of 2016, Tyler is embarking on his first season of racing in the USAC Midget National Series.
His first USAC race last May at Belleville High Banks Speedway in Belleville, KS ended rather abruptly. Having qualified for the A-Main Feature by turning in qualifying laps within hundredths of a second behind the Kuntz Racing Team led by Rico Abreu (the 2015 and 2016 “Chili Bowl” Champion).
Shortly into the race another driver hit the wall and stopped at the exit of turn 4. Any driver will tell you that there are times when all you can do, as Tyler said, “...is just hang on.” Tyler hit the car in front of him at an estimated 145MPH, flipped 7 times and walked away with a broken finger. The car was totalled.
Now, the “Rest of the Story”.
Tyler is an “Independent” driver, like the majority of today’s future World Class Drivers. “Independent” means that you are able to race only because Family, friends and hopefully a few sponsors believe in you and somehow come up with the money that it takes to keep you on the path to your dream. Everyone in the “Motorsports Family” understands that passion, skill and desire will only get you so far.
Unlike many of today’s drivers, Tyler Nelson was not born into a racing family. Even though he was born in North Carolina, considered by many to be the epicenter of motorsports, young Tyler Nelson never dreamed he’d be an up and coming driver on the Midget Racing Circuit. That would all come later.
In his early years, Tyler had no concept of Drivers like the Earnhardts (Kannapolis, NC), Kyle and Richard Petty (Randleman, NC) or Jack Ingram (Ashevillie, NC). Or, of other notables from his home town of Washington, N.C., like Dominque Wilkens (NBA Superstar) or Henry Churchill de Mille, playwright and the father of film pioneers Cecil B. de Mille and William C. deMille.
What he did know intimately was poverty, hunger and parents struggling with drug addiction. As Tyler, puts it, “My father was in and out of jail for most of my childhood, we would go 3 or 4 days without food... I remember eating an entire jar of peanut butter, by itself, at one sitting. I was that hungry, it’s what we had, I thought that was normal.”
In 2005, things began to change for Tyler and his 10 year old sister Page. The Child Welfare system in North Carolina was alerted to the family’s problems. There are very few choices when it comes to the care of at-risk children from dysfunctional homes. They either enter a deeply flawed US Foster system or, if they are lucky, there might be family members willing to step in and help. Fortunately, for Tyler and Page, the authorities made a call to their Maternal Grandmother, Nancy Robison, living in Olathe, KS. Nancy and her husband Scott owned a small, but successful, Coffee and Vending Business. Taking on two pre-teens was not in their life plan! Tyler describes it a little differently, “It was a little strange moving to Kansas to live with a Grandmother that we had only met a couple of times in our lives.”
In Tyler’s words, my Grandma told me, “I want you involved in an activity, you’re not just going to sit around the house all day.” He thought about it, and then told her that he wanted to Race. His original plan included “Dirt Bikes”. Says Tyler, “What’s a 5’0” Grandmother supposed to do with that kind of information?” He clearly did not understand his grandmother very well yet, because, in my experience, she’s never turned down a challenge.
She also put Tyler’s character, as a person, just as high on her list as his his skills as a Driver.
Tyler got involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kansas City. He is still involved today and has been named an “Official Spokesperson and Goodwill Ambassador”. He carries the message and Mission of the Clubs to races, speaks with kids and frequently Mentors other at-risk youth by sharing his story. He shares the power of having goals and dreams that can change negatives into positives. As part of his service to the Boys & Girls Clubs, he administers an Anual Scholarship Fund giving club members a hand in pursuing their secondary education goals.
Tyler’s racing career began seriously when they met Roger Gorbet at a local Kansas City area Go-Kart Track.
Roger had built many of the cars at the track and began working with Tyler.
Roger and Tyler hit it off immediately. To this day, Roger is always in Tyler’s Pit. He’s been Tyler’s Mentor, Crew Chief and traveling companion for more than 7 years. Roger built Tyler’s first Go-Kart and began to teach Tyler Welding. In 2008, Tyler began racing Karts and won the track Championship in his first season.
Over the next 2 years, Tyler would hone his racing skills. He was given the unique and somewhat dubious “Biggest Flip of the Season” award. In 2009, Tyler took second place in Junior Light and 3rd in Junior Heavy Divisions, followed the next year by a 1st Place finish in both Junior Light and Junior Heavy Divisions.
The Racing bug was clearly in Tyler’s blood now, his race strategy was improving and it was time for a bigger challenge. So, in 2011, Tyler moved into the 600cc Micro Sprint Division racing most weekends at what would quickly become his “home track”, Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, MO just east of KC on I-70. Tyler was named “Rookie of the Year” in his first season at Valley and finished in 6th Place at Sweet Springs Raceway. Tyler raced in his next 50 races, without incident, finishing in the Top 10 of every race.
In May of 2012, Tyler witnessed an event that would change the way he approaches life forever. Racing a Valley Speedway, Tyler won his division in the Micro Sprints, but in the Sprint division race, a fellow driver, Jeff Osborne’s car left the track and hit a pole. In spite of using all the safety equipment, the 38 year old driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Tyler decided to donate his purse that night to the family, encouraged other drivers to do the same and set out to organize a “fundraiser”, raising an additional $2400 to help Jeff’s family with expenses.
At the age of 15, Tyler, with the help of family and friends, set out to establish KCKidsOnTrack.net, a 501c3 not for Profit Foundation whose Mission is to use his success in racing as a way to give back to the Community. Over the years, KCKidsonTrack.net has worked to raise funds to by a young girl a wheelchair, raised thousands of dollars in supplies and money to help establish a local Women’s Shelter for abussed women and children and frequently visits with the elderly. It’s important to Tyler, to represent himself as a positive role model for Motorsports.
Success continued in 2012 and Valley Speedway’s “Winner in Class”, runner-up Points Leader in 2013 and 2nd Place in the All-Star Midgets Series in 2014.
Tyler continues to race a Midget with appearances at the Chili Bowl in 2015 and 2016. After High School Graduation, Tyler moved to Indianapolis, IN. He is attending a School for Welding and working part time for Spike Chassis. Watch for Tyler Nelson #88 during 2016 on the USAC Midget Nationals Circuit.
Article Credit: Dave Clark
