Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1189298
IN THE WIND P44 Chris Carter Passes C hris Carter, the witty and knowledgeable motorcycle journalist and announcer, passed away Thursday morning, November 28, according to friends and industry associates. Carter became an institution at Daytona Bike Week. Every March he made the trek from his home in England to spend a few weeks helping Daytona International Speed- way credential the media and VIPs. In addition to his credentialing duties, Carter's busy Daytona included host- ing a popular nightly radio show and being a major cog of the announcing team for the Daytona 200 and its sup- port events. With his encyclopedic knowledge of the sport, Carter both entertained and educated American audi- ences since first coming to announce in the U.S. in the late 1970s. Carter's family grew up working at and running motorcycle races in England, so Chris was around the sport all of his life. As he told it, normally the very last position to be filled by club race organiz- ers is race commentator. "You offer the position of speaker to 90 percent of the people in the club and they'll all beg off," he said. "When they came to me, I asked 'Where's the mic?' So, from the time I was 12 I was com- mentating at the races." Carter's announcing style endeared him to racing fans. He added a lot of flavor to the com- mentating by knowing the riders and being able to convey interesting side stories. While Carter said he liked to claim laziness guided most of his career decisions, his attention to detail showed the hard work he put into his craft. It didn't hurt that Carter felt no need to pull his punches behind the microphone. "Most commentators are polite and politically correct. They say the right things. I'm happy to speak my mind," Carter admitted in a 2008 inter- view. "If a race is boring, I'll say, 'Oh my god, this is boring.' The fans or the viewers will say, 'He's right this is an absolutely dull race.' Whereas some commentators might feel the need to jump up and down and feign excitement when there is none." Carter's irreverent interviews were legendary. Riders often served as foil for Carter's jokes— "You can't really enjoy racing that pig of a motor- cycle," he might say. Carter was a one-of-a-kind personality and a person who dedicated his life to motorcycle racing. His passing leaves us without one of the greats who worked tirelessly to do his part to give listeners and readers a deeper glimpse into the personalities of our sport. Larry Lawrence Chris Carter (right) interviewing Tommy Hayden during his radio program in 2003. PHOTO BY LARRY LAWRENCE