From Turf To Track, Garner Native Leads Wallace Race Crew

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From Turf To Track, Garner Native Leads Wallace Race Crew

Jun 2, 2004

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CONCORD, N.C. — The last two years have been a struggle for Nextel driver Rusty Wallace. Penske racing made a major change before the start of this season, naming Larry Carter crew chief.

The Garner native is already making a difference.

In the late 1970s, baseball was Carter's sport at Garner High School.

The first-baseman went on to study agronomy at North Carolina State University. Carter, who thought he wanted to be a golf course superintendent, went to work for Wake County Public Schools after graduating from N.C. State in 1983.

"I was turf grass manager," he said, "I was in charge of 96 athletic facilities, you know, at Athens, Millbrook, Garner and all around."

Carter enjoyed his work on turf, but his love was on the track, often running at the Wake County Speedway.

"I had been racing at night and on the weekends anyway, so it was just a kind of a natural flow for me to merge on into this business," he said.

Carter says being a crew chief is now an ever-changing business.

"The crew chief used to be the head mechanic. Now, it's got to where I rarely get in my toolbox. It's more personnel, coaching, and working with people," Carter said.

Carter had a good teacher when it comes to dealing with the twists and turn of racing.

His uncle, Travis Carter, was a championship crew chief for Benny Parsons and Harry Gant.

"I always thought Travis was calm under pressure. He never would get excited, he never yelled, never got mad at people. He just methodically went about his job," Carter said.

In April, what could be called the Carter characteristic paid off at Martinsville as Wallace won for the first time in two years.

It is Wallace's 55th career trip to victory lane, but new turf for Carter and the car No. 2 crew.