“I took some time off racing when Blake started running a car at Duck River at the end of 2002,” he said. “We built him a new car over the winter and I quit racing to help him gain experience. Of course, at the end of 2001, I got the call to run five SuperTruck races for Tommy White. That’s turned into a full season this year.”
Anyone who knows Carter could expect that. They could expect him to take time off for his family. And, they could expect him to not ignore the urge to race. In fact, while Blake was cutting his teeth in the divisions at Duck River Speedway, Carter “put a car together to run, too.”
He said that although he wasn’t in it for the championship, he still had a good year, winning four races. “We blew a motor, set out a bit and then were able to finish with Blake,” he said.
“Then we went to Cleveland (Tenn.) and Talladega’s short track to race. That’s the race that had 96 cars show up. They took 24 and I made the field. I finished 12th in the race.”
Carter said he liked racing at Duck River because “I could have the whole family with me. Whenever we raced, they could all be with me in the pits. There was no age limit.”
For someone who can legitimately be described as a family man, that was important to Carter. But so is his own career in racing. Even though he grew up in a racing family, Carter didn’t get into the sport until his early 20s.
“My dad got out of racing when I was about 12,” he said. “I helped my Uncle James (Climer) at bit, but I really didn’t show any interest until I was about 21. That’s when I started hanging out with a cousin who built motors for go-karts.”
Before long, he’d stopped “hanging out” and started racing go-karts. Once he started, he couldn’t stop. After 75 wins, he went on to Duck River where he won the 1991 championship. In 1992 Carter moved to Fairgrounds Speedway and immediately made an impression by taking home the Limited Sportsman Rookie of the Year honors.
In 1993, he followed that up with the championship, garnering 16 of 22 wins, 20 Top 5 finished, 22 Top 10 finishes, four track records and eight pole positions. By 1995, Carter had moved to the Late Model division, but a less than successful rookie year made him rethink his decision to move up.
“They started the trucks in 1997 and I’d say that I moved to the trucks mainly because of money,” he said. “The tires they were running at the time didn’t cost as much and we could run them longer.” Nowdays, he said, the cost is much more comparable to a Late Model.
“It’s jumped way up now,” he said. But so has the competition. “Our talent level is as good as that in the Late Model division,” he said. “(Late Model division) driver Mike Reynolds was dominate in a truck. Then he moved to the Late Models and is having a good year there as well. It takes as much talent to race in the truck division as it does anywhere else.”
Carter was quick to point out, however, is that White does own a Late Model and they might run four to five races this season. If they could come up with the money, he said, he’d like to run a full season in the car. Currently, his sponsors are Print Graphics of Jackson and Tommy White Motorsports. When he “got the call” to race for White last season, he agreed to do so for five races. They finished in the Top 5 every time and almost win a race.
“We decided to keep going and built a new truck over the winter,” he said. “There was some stuff that we didn’t have and so we accumulated a lot of new stuff over the winter to get all we needed this year.”
Although the team and truck were new, White and Crew Chief J.R. Weist made goals for the 2002 season: to win 13 races and the championship. They’re well on their way. With seven wins on the books, he credits his the desire of his team – Crew Chief Weist, Mike Weist, Dwayne Mathis, Ron Wheeler, Bubba Smitty, Roger Gann and “Joe Joe” -- to finish and win races this season. And so far, they’ve been a success, finishing all but one race, and being a half-lap from finishing that one.
Carter said that Weist is one of the more competitive people he knows and that’s why he likes working with him.
“He’ll check something over three to four times whereas someone else will check something one time,” he said. “Sometimes it may seem like he may go overboard but that’s the reason we’re winning races and have a competitive truck.”
Although he didn’t made goals for himself at the beginning of the season, he now has adopted the team goals. “Since it’s worked out well, I’ve fallen into it now,” he said. Carter said that although he has 18 years of driving experience, he still learns lessons every time he gets in the truck.
“Experience is one of my strengths,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of laps around Nashville. Last year when we didn’t win any of the five races, I said it’s because I didn’t have the seat time. In fact, I’m still learning a lot this year. I still have a lot more I’d like to gain as a driver.”
Among the lessons he’s learned are about driving, making a pass without tearing up anything, saving tires and more.
“We don’t run many longer races, but on the big ones I’ve learned to save my equipment,” he said. “I used to run wide open as soon as the green flag dropped. I don’t do that anymore because now days, if you tear a fender off the truck, you might as well park it. My driving style is 180 percent different this year than is was in 1997. I never went out to tear up anything, but I did go out there to win races. I took more chances back then that didn’t pay off. Now, my racing does pay off.”
He said – as opposed to five years ago – he doesn’t “push the truck further than it can go that night. A month ago, we finished fourth. I want to save the truck and finish each week. I still go out there to win. I used to say ‘whatever it takes to win.’ But since I’ve changed my driving style, it’s paid off.”
Carter said his successful career can be attributed to his desires when he steps behind the wheel of the truck.
“I go out to do the best I can,” he said. “Of course, a lot of the success falls back to the team because they want to win as much as I do. I don’t go out there thinking about letting them down. I go out to win.” He feels that way about Blake’s car and truck as well.
“I believe in being real competitive,” Carter said. “If it takes staying up until 2 or 3 a.m. so Blake can be there and be competitive, then I’ll do it.” Carter said that he’s ready to support Blake as long as he wants to race. “I’m 110 percent for it,” he said. “Not that (Allen’s wife) Joanne isn’t for it too. She’s his mother and has other concerns. But I feel like he’s safer in the car or truck than anywhere. But I won’t push him. If he wants to race, I’ll back him 110 percent. And, at this time, he’s 100 percent ready to race.”
Although he turned 39 this month, Carter said that his career is far from over. “I don’t think I’ll race as long as (his uncle) James, but everyone wants to move up,” he said. “Thirty-nine is not too old to move up to Craftsman Trucks. Winston Cup may be gone because of my age, but I could still move up to the Craftsman Truck. As long as I have my son racing, I’ll probably race for another four or five years. I enjoy and love racing. But it falls back to Blake and Clint. If they want to race, I’ll stay in it. If I think that they could go on up, then there’s no sense in me taking my time when maybe they could make it at their age.”
Spoken like a true family man. |
|
|
