Dick Carter
Breckenridge, Michigan
17.Aug.1934 - 14.Aug.1965
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Attempting to describe Carter's career is very difficult because to a certain degree Carter's broadsliding hard charging driving style captured the attention of racing fans whenever he took hold of a steering wheel. Although no one has ever sat down and figured out how many feature races the talented Carter won, it was probably close to 200. Dick began his career in 1953, racing on tracks in the Saginaw, Michigan area as he was living in Breckenridge, Michigan. Just to read these names brings back visions of snarling Chevy racing engines, open wheel monsters hurtling into the turns and bellowing down the backstretch and a deafening roar as they thundered by the grandstands. No true race fan will ever be able to forget the memories of these men and the super mods of that era. The high point of that period was in 1965 when the Air Force sponsored a championship race which drew in excess of 9,000 fans The low point of the track came on August 21, 1965. Just one week prior on the 14th, Dick Carter was fatally injured at Berlin Raceway. Carter was perhaps one of the greatest dirt track drivers of all time in Michigan. On August 21st Jimmy Nelson, a close friend of Carter, came to the Speedrome to race and announced that all of his winnings that night would be contributed to the Carter family. Fate stepped in that night and snuffed out the life and career of Nelson as he flipped end over end, right out of the track into the parking lot. I had the great opportunity to watch Dick and Jimmy race from about 1963 to 1965 at Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run, Michigan. They were weekly regulars and both drove the wheels of their Supers. It was sad when they both died in racing accidents a week apart. The field of cars just seemed empty after that. written by. . . Pete Banchoff of South Lyon, Michigan |
Dick Carter raced at Berlin in Marne, MI. I believe he raced on the dirt and then on asphalt once they paved it. Dick was awesome at that track and ruled on many a Saturday night. From the archives of the Ronald D. Nielsen Family |
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Coastal181 picture of the day |
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Dick Carter links
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