Larry Carter is a veteran motorsports journalist currently based in North Yorkshire. From interviewing nine-time Superbike Championship World Champion Valentino Rossi (arguably the greatest motorbike racer of all time) to editing and publishing for the British Superbike Championship Race Programmes, Larry has had a profound impact on the local motorsports landscape. However, despite what you might think, he did not intend for his career to pan out this way.
As a young boy, Carter was bullied and shunned by his peers in school, hence causing him to dislike school. His introverted self made it difficult for him to express himself naturally at that time. However, it was in school that he found himself to have quite a competitive nature. This would eventually lead him to his lifelong passion for racing.
Carter first started his career as a semi-professional motorcycle racer, juggling four jobs and saving as much money as he possibly could just to support his racing career. He competed as a motorcycle racer from 1983 to 1989, competing in the Suzuki GSXR World Cup, British Championships, and Manx GP, winning six Auto 66 Club championships in 1988.
In the 1990s, Carter decided to start his own company that specialized in motorsports public relations, and communications. This eventually led him into broadcasting and most recently publishing, which is now the core of his business, Cartersport.
Cartersport as it stands is a business that both showcases Carter’s wide range of available services in the realm of motorsports public relations and communications as well as his accolades over his illustrious four-decade-long career.
His accolades and achievements include:
- British Superbike Championship circuit pit lane reporter working on BSB Radio alongside Fred Clarke and Paul Musselle as well as British rounds of MotoGP and World Superbikes since 2000.
- Contributing Editor since 2005 and Editor/Publisher since 2011 of most British Superbike race programmes and occasional BTCC and F3/GT race programmes.
- Circuit commentator in British Rallycross including doing the British Rallycross GP/Superprix at Croft as well as Blyton and Lydden Hill.
- Wales Rally FM Reporter/Commentator on Rally GB 2010 & 2011.
- Commentator for BBCTV and BBC Radio Ulster at North West 200 and Ulster GP since 2007.
- Occasional Commentator at British Superbikes for British Eurosport.
- Editor/Author since of 2006 British Superbike Championship Review Book – Seeing Red.
- Editor for five years of Motorcycle Racer Magazine between 2006 and 2010.
- Darlington & Stockton Times newspaper motorsport columnist/correspondent since 1998.
- A regular contributor to Motorsport News
- Ex Motorcycle road racer from 1983 to 1989 competing in Suzuki GSXR World Cup, British Championships and Manx GP. Won six Auto 66 Club championships in 1988.
- World Championship rally co-driver including winning class on Network Q Rally GB (with Paul Bird) in 2001. Got ‘Birdy’ involved with rallying in the first place and was co-driver for him (including winning the Christmas Stages twice in 2002 and 2003) for four seasons.
- Acted as manager for the late Steve Hislop and has also represented superbike racers Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne, John McGuinness, Steve Plater, Michael Rutter and Stuart Easton. More recently, involved as a consultant to BSB star Tommy Bridewell and also his late brother Ollie, who was killed at Mallory in 2007, aged 21.
When asked about what the difference is between being a racer and being in the background taking on more managerial roles, facilitating the many moving parts behind the scenes of the racing, Carter said, “There’s various challenges… One thing I’ve never ever been able to replicate is the adrenaline rush that you get.”
He added, “I’ve raced around the Isle of Man TT course and that is something that is pretty extreme… So when you’re doing a hundred and eighty miles an hour between walls, the juices start flowing. That adrenaline is something that I still get when I compete in my rally car, but not the extent I got when I was racing.”
He also said, “Racing around the TT course is one thing, I’ve driven around forests at over a hundred miles an hour with trees on either side of the road, that’s another thing. But, when I got to stand up in front of live television and interview Valentino Rossi who’s a nine-time MotoGP world champion… out to 55 million people worldwide, you can imagine what sort of mentality that takes.”
Despite the glitz and grandeur of the job, Carter admits that it is not easy. 100-hour work weeks mean that the long hours would certainly hamper the spirits of the average Joe. What is imperative is passion and hunger for the sport and a desire to do anything and everything to achieve the best possible result. Whether it is within the realms of racing, competition or outside of racing entirely, Carter’s philosophy can be applied to the many intricate complexities of life.
“If you find a job you love, you won’t work a day in your life.”
– Larry Carter
Loss
Motorsports as a whole is a gruelling endeavour. The physical and psychological strain is unlike any other sport in the world. Courage, determination, concentration and physical ability are tested repeatedly in a race before a winner is procured. Winners triumph while losers look forward, toward another race where they may win. Some racers fade away, while some, less fortunate but no less capable, lose their lives.
Carter said, “It’s not a bed of roses… it’s a great job, but it’s not a dream job because sometimes things go wrong. When you work in motorsports, you get to know people pretty well and we all know it’s said on the back of the ticket: motorsports is dangerous.”
Despite the unforgiving nature of motorsports, Larry Carter represents the spirit of gearheads and motorsports enthusiasts across the world, a spirit of unwavering love and admiration for the sport.
Nowadays on weekends, you can find Carter sliding his Peugeot 206 Super Cup Rally Car across gravel courses in club events and rally championships across the country.
The car is professionally prepared and maintained and has achieved good results at multiple venues, including a best result of 3rd in class and 10th overall in the 2010 Specsavers Christmas Stages. Carter also won the Division 1A class on his debut in the Rallycross Open Championship at Croft in October 2009 and finished second in the S1600 class at the BTRDA 75th Anniversary meeting also at Croft in November 2013. The very same car has been raced by Carter in the Northern Sports & Saloon Car Championship.
Well written Khai! Great to see some historical coverage on motorsport, it’s so easy to dazzled by the modern face, glitz and glamour of it all today.