The state of Ohio is a hotbed for motorsports with some of the best facilities in the world calling the Buckeye state home. National Trail Raceway is one of the oldest tracks in the state and it has attracted generations of racers to the sport of drag racing since it opened. Mopar fanatic Jamie Walker is one of those who heeded the track’s call and turned drag racing into a life-long hobby.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the area around National Trail Raceway is just how quaint and welcoming it is. The gently rolling hills, acres of farmland, and thick woodlands are a great backdrop for the facility — it also means there isn’t much else to do in the area. Walker grew up in the shadow of the track and it became his go-to place for entertainment. That has led to countless passes for Walker at National Trail and even more good times had with friends on raceday.

If there’s one thing that Walker loves more than drag racing it’s the Mopar brand. He’s a true “Mopar or no car” kind of guy, so it’s no surprise he pilots such a stunning Plymouth product. Walker’s 1972 Barracuda sports a rowdy 588 cubic-inch engine that was built by Todd Marsh. Behind the Mopar mill, Walker has implemented a stout 727 transmission and torque converter built by Quick Draw. This combination allows Walker to cover the 1/8-mile in the low 5.50 range and the full 1/4-mile in just 8.5-seconds.

It’s always interesting to hear how a racer acquired the car they bring to the track each week. Some have owned their car for decades, while others saved up enough to purchase their dream car when the time was right. For Walker, the Barracuda came into his life after an auction purchase didn’t turn out how he wanted.

“I purchased a car from Barrett Jackson and it just wasn’t what I wanted after I got it home. I saw a guy in North Carolina who had this particular car for sale or trade so I called him and told him what I just purchased. He took one look at the picture of the car I had and it was exactly what he wanted. It worked out because this car was exactly what I wanted, so we just switched cars,” Walker explains.

Jamie Walker is the kind of racer that keeps the sport of drag racing going. He enjoys coming to his local track to race with his friends because it brings him happiness. Jamie isn’t interested in being the fastest racer on Earth, he just wants to make hits in his classic Mopar as often as possible.

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