It’s been said some of the best race-car drivers in the country are at home on Sundays, driving a TV remote instead of a NASCAR Sprint Cup car.
Tyler Anderson doesn’t intend on being a Sunday-afternoon couch potato.
“My ultimate goal is to make it into NASCAR in the top three series — trucks, Nationwide or Cup,” the 13-year-old from Everett said recently. “Work my way up the ladder, win championships.”
There are as many different paths to success as there are drivers starting a Cup race on Sunday, but Tyler’s racing resume is similar to quite a few current NASCAR stars, including that of his personal favorite, four-time champion Jeff Gordon.
Both started racing quarter-midgets at a young age — Gordon at 5, Tyler started at 31/2 — before moving up to karts and then sprint cars. Dirt-track success and championships soon followed for each.
Tyler was the rookie of the year and runner-up in the 600R Mini-Sprint division at Deming Speedway in 2007, and he followed that up with a championship the following season and another second-place finish earlier this year.
“If it’s got wheels and someone says he can race it, he’s there with his driving suit,” Gary Anderson said of his son. “He just loves racing. If he was strong enough to run four classes in one night, he’d be there.”
Tyler turns 14 in December, and next spring the Explorer Middle School student plans to race a 360 sprint car at Skagit Speedway.
Skagit Speedway owner Steve Beitler, who raced in the prestigious World of Outlaws sprint-car series, said competition in the 360 division is open to drivers as young as 14, as long as they have prior racing experience.
Beitler added that Tyler, like any other rookie driver, will be closely monitored by track personnel to ensure he can race safely in Skagit Speedway’s highly competitive 360 division.
Like many others, Tyler became interested in racing because of a relative. Gary Anderson raced late models, karts and motocross for 20 years before giving it up in 2003, but he isn’t re-living his youth through Tyler.
“I like spending time with fans,” Tyler said. “If there were 1,000 people in line, I’d sign every autograph before they leave.”
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