1999 Pontiac Grand Prix qualified and finished twenty-eighth, three laps off of the pace at the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 150 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Unfortunately for Walker, the necessary sponsorship needed to finance a competitive entry did not materialize for the 2000 season, so Tyler's deal with Tyler Jet became null and void. He made one attempt at the BellSouth Mobility 320, driving the #28 Larry Lockamy entry, but his qualifying speed was too slow to make the competitive 43-car field. Sprint cars and pre-return to stock cars (2001–2005) With his stock car dreams on hold, Walker returned to the familiar sprint car circuit. In addition to dirt sprints, Walker competed in the United States Auto Club sprint series, finishing 9th at the 2001 J.D. Byrider 100, where he competed against future and present NASCAR superstars Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, and Mike Bliss. Walker returned to full-time competition in 2002, moving to the state of Oklahoma to live close to his new team, which was owned by one of his former crew chiefs. He and the new team won a total of sixteen races during the season earning him the name of World of Outlaws Gumout Series championship. He would become famous for celebrating his many victories by doing a back-flip off of the top of his racecar. This novel celebration would soon be copied by Carl Edwards, who was joining the NASCAR ranks at this time. Walker finally made a successful qualification in a NASCAR-sanctioned event during the 2003 season, the year after he won the championship. He debuted in the Craftsman Truck Series, a racing series for stock model pick up trucks, in 2003, racing 3 races in the #7 Mopar Performance Dodge Ram for Ultra Motorsports as a teammate to championship contender and eventual 2005 Series champion Ted Musgrave. His best finish during these races was a 21st at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Walker spent time in 2003 driving in the USAC Silver Crown series for RE Technologies/Curb-Agajanian. He finished fifth in points for the year earning the title of Most Improved Driver in the series. In 2004, Tyler Walker split time as a full-time open-wheel sprint racer and a stock car racer. He joined the USAC Silver Crown Series for Kasey Kahne Racing owned by NASCAR driver and that year's Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year and future Allstate Insurance spokesmodel Kasey Kahne. His lone