Larry Carter, Crew Chief of the No. 26 Crown Royal/IRWIN Ford Fusion

Personal Profile
Birth Date: September 21, 1962
Marital Status: Married, Tracy
Children: Son, Benjamin
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Residence: Mooresville, NC

Larry Carter’s passion for cars and racing began at the young age of 14, when he began visiting local dirt tracks in North Carolina. Carter didn’t realize in the early days he would become one of NASCAR’s top crew chiefs. Carter has worked with some the finest drivers in NASCAR history – Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, Rick Mast, Jimmy Spencer, Todd Bodine and others. Today, Carter leads the crew of the No. 26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, piloted by Jamie McMurray.

Carter has been a North Carolina boy his entire life. Born in Raleigh, N.C., he attended Garner Senior High School before being accepted into North Carolina State University. A proud “Wolfpack” fan, he graduated in 1983 and began working for the Wake County School System as the lead superintendent for the school grounds in the district. Carter had set his dreams on becoming a golf course superintendent, but quickly moved on to open a grading business.

During his teenage years, Carter began attending races with a buddy. Each weekend, the two would visit the local North Carolina dirt tracks to work on racecars and quickly learned their way around a track.

After deciding that “pushing dirt” wasn’t for him, Carter got his start in the NASCAR industry. In 1986, Carter began spotting and working around the garage part time for NASCAR driver Rick Mast. The following year, Carter moved into a full-time position with driver Butch Miller, where he started as a general mechanic and fabricator on the No. 08 Chevrolet.

Over the next 13 years, Carter worked as a tire specialist, shock specialist, data acquisition engineer and car chief. “I’ve had and done about every job in the garage,” he said.

Carter got his start as a NASCAR Cup crew chief in 2000, for Darrell Waltrip, who was in his last year of racing. After working with Waltrip, Carter moved over to work with Todd Bodine for two years and then onto Tony Raines.

In 2005, Carter had the privilege to work with NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace in his final year of stock car racing. Carter and Wallace got their first win together in April 2005 at Martinsville Speedway. Wallace went on to make the “Chase for the Nextel Cup,” and finished eighth that season.

In January of 2007, Carter got a call from NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray, asking him to come over to Roush Fenway Racing and lead his No. 26 team. Carter brought with him an ensemble of guys to work on the No. 26 Ford Fusion.

In 2007, McMurray and new crew chief Carter found immediate success together as the duo racked up one win, three top fives, nine top-10 finishes and one pole award.

The team of McMurray and Carter are paired together again for the 2008 season and with the same goal in mind – to put McMurray back in Victory Lane and into contention for the 2008 Sprint Cup Championship.