Hunter Carter stepped away from racing in the street stock class after the 2016 season, and for the next four years was the co-promoter of Sheyenne Speedway in Lisbon.
But deep down, the 31-year-old missed one thing – a lot -- during that time.
“Driving a car,” Carter said. “I enjoyed the promoter side a lot, I really did. But I missed driving the car and just hanging out with the guys.”
Starting in 2020, Carter came back for seven shows, using the same car he had raced previously. In 2021, he stepped away from co-promoting and returned to racing, running the Dirt Race Central Street Stock Tour and finishing third in the points with 10 top five finishes in 14 tour starts. Last year, mainly running the tour, he had a good season with two wins, including a tour victory by inches at Viking Speedway over Wissota national champion Kyle Dykhoff.
But he noticed a change in the cars after an almost four-year layoff.
“The way the technology has gotten, these cars are way more advanced than when I started,” Carter said. “We’re going a lot faster. The gearing was completely different when I started back up. We’re just moving so much faster. The technology is way more advanced.”
Carter is a native of Lisbon, and will be at his hometown Sheyenne Speedway this Thursday when the Steffes Street Stock Tour resumes at the ¼-mile oval.
The Carter name is a racing fixture in Lisbon. Hunter’s uncle, Todd, has raced for four decades and still pilots a street stock and is a top runner. His cousin, Jonny, was the 2019 Wissota Street Stock national champion and has been a top runner in the class in the region for several years.
It was Jonny Carter, in fact, who helped get Hunter back behind the wheel.
“I have to thank him a bunch for all the knowledge and everything he’s taught me since I got back into it,” Carter said. “He’s obviously one of the top out there. He’s been on his game. I have to thank him for getting me back into motion and teaching me. He set that old car up for me and we had a good thing running.”
Hunter and Jonny have a sibling-like relationship, and that includes racing each other hard on the track.
“It’s a good time,” Carter said. “It’s a blast. It’s not competitive, but we are. When we get by each other there’s a little extra gas pedal behind it.”
After using his old car from 2020-22, Carter made a change this year, switching to a Bomber Chassis built by Wisconsin driver Kyle Genett.
“Kyle Genett built this car,” Carter said. “He built one for himself and one for me. Full blown, these are Kyle’s first two. I’m trying his stuff; that is different for me. I’m getting to learn his setup stuff too.”
Carter plans to run the Dirt Race Central Street Stock Tour through August.
“I’ll stick with the tour,” Carter said. “Once the tour is done then my schedule will open up and do some bigger shows.”
But then he plans on taking a break, at least for a while, as he and his wife, Kayla are expecting their first child.
“We’re super excited about that,” Carter said.
On the track, the Wissota Street Stock class competitiveness is fierce, and that is a challenge Carter enjoys.
“The street stock class right now is the most competitive it has ever been,” Carter said. “On a weekly night there are five guys at each track that can win and on a tour night there are 10-plus. That is what makes it so fun and challenging. You’ve got to be on your game every time you strap in the car.”
Driver Profile
Hunter Carter
Wissota Street Stock #19H
Residence: Mapleton, N.D.
Age: 31
Sponsors: Froemke Excavating, OLR Transportation, Braun Farms, Rice Companies, Griffith Farm, Performance Auto, Clauson Farms, Golden Properties, CitySide Collision, Welton’s Tire Service, Paragon Chiropractic, Shocker Hitch
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