TimCarter

Rock N Racing's Personal Q's

1. How would you describe yourself both as a person and as a driver?

I would say I'm an outgoing, friendly, hardnosed competitior. I enjoy the people and the fans that make racing what it is, and i like to run my hardest yet be clean, everytime i'm out on the track.

2. Everyone has a unique status among the fans. What if anything would you like to see changed about yours and what do you think of it overall?

I enjoy my status among my fans, but most of all, i love the "little" fans. The kids are the best, and it's always fun to see their eyes light up and to put a smile on their face.

3. What types of activities do you enjoy that you think help keep you balanced?

I enjoy spending time with my family, and my pets. I also enjoy just kickin back with some buddies, playing any type of sports, or just hangin around playing some PS2.

4. Almost everyone in racing has to have a great deal of dedication, determination, and inspiration. Where does yours come from?

I have big shoes to fill. My grandfather, Rags Carter, was a pioneer in DIRT modified racing up north. He made the move from the short tracks of the south to Pa in 1963. He won everything and won in everything he drove. I race not only for myself, but also to keep my grandfathers legacy and name alive in auto racing.

5. What would you say your most memorable fan encounter was?

An older couple came up to me at a racecar show crying. They saw my car, and the paint scheme I had on it, and were so full of emotion because of it. I painted my cars to resemble my grandfathers one racecar, and as it turned out, they were big fans of his. They wanted all the info they could get on me about where I'd be running and couldn't wait to come watch.

6. Do you have any advice you would like to offer aspiring drivers?

Stay positive! Learn where this sport has come from. Know the past, and respect your elders.

7. What are you most looking forward to for the 2004 Season?

Finding a ride. Having moved from Pa to NC in the beginning of november, i havent secured a ride yet for the 2004 season. Unfortunatelly, they don't race the DIRT style modifides that they run back in the northeast. I moved down here with my racing engine and a dream, and wether or not I spend the rest of my career on a dirt track, I want to be the best at it. I feel asphalt is calling for me because I go faster on the dirt tracks when they get black and slick. but we will just have to wait and see what happens, and where i'll end up. Only time will tell.

8. Which race do you consider your most memorable and why?

Unfortunatelly, the most memorable one, isn't a good one. During the 2001 season, we were hot. Always running out front, and had won 4 races at our home track. I was leading the points chase on the last race of the season. Started the race on the pole, and just past half way, while leading, the front end broke. I climbed the wall, took out about another 4 or 5 cars, and lost the points championship.

9. Will you be running in any Cup or Busch races or is that a goal of yours?

It's everyone's dream, isn't it? But if I don't make it there, I will be content racing and winning at whatever level I make it too. I feel I have what it takes, now I just need a few brakes to go my way.

10. How has your experience been so far moving from PA to NC?

It was a change, a pretty big change. I got laid off back in Pa in January of 03 from my regular fulltime job. It made the 03 race season a tough one. No job and sparse sponsorship made it very trying. But finishing 9th in ponits in my rookie season of DIRT modified racing isn't too bad I guess. The hardest thing down here though, is, I'm a driver. There are hundreds of drivers down here, and only a handful of rides, atleast when you get up to the big leagues, cup, busch, etc. My skills as a mechanic are lacking, and I would fit much better in the racing industry, if not driving, then in the business end of the business; marketing, promotional work, etc.

Rock N Racing's Tech Q's

1. How long does it take to build a car/truck and get it ready for testing or for any particular race? Depending on the track you are going to race at how much time does it take to get a car/truck ready?

Our car took a few months to get ready for opening day of race season. Getting the motor freshed up, new body panels, and getting all of our ducks in a row. It usually took our team 3-4 nights a week to get the car ready for the following weeks events.

2. With the limited amount of testing now allowed at this time, will you be testing more at off tracks, and if so which tracks are the closest to the actual ones you race at?

Our tracks back in Pa had one test date a year, which was usually the week before the season began.

3. The body styles quite a bit in the last few years do you feel it's helped and/or hurt the cars/trucks?

I feel this issue has helped with aerodynamics, etc, but it has definatelly hurt from what I would say is the fans point of view. The cars all look the same now, like they came out of cookie cutters.

4. There has been a lot of controversy over the Gentleman's Agreement Or Lucky Dog. How do you feel about it?

In weekly short track racing, you always line up according to the previously completed lap. I think that is the way it should be in all racing. If you are a lap down, you stay a lap down, unless it happend under the last completed lap before the caution.

5. A lot of teams build there own engines or buy them from other teams. What are the advantages, if any, to building your own?

Well, there are a few advantages to building your own. You know exactally what's going into that engine, and of corse, if it runs well, you have the pride in that. We did not build our own engines for our team, but we did have a engine builder who let us keep a watchful eye over what went on with our engines.

6. If you could race anywhere in any series where would it be and what series?

I would love to run in the ARCA series. You have cars that are pretty close to winston cup cars, yet you get to go and run on a dirt track 2 times a year. Dirt is in my blood. Of corse, if the higer levels of racing don't come a calling, I will always have my roots at the dirt tracks to fall back on.

7. When you are preparing for a track that isn't your best, how do you prepare yourself both mentally and physically to race there?

You learn to do what needs to be done in the car. I have never been very good at the muddy / tacky dirt tracks. I accelled at the tracks where it got black and slick. If I knew the track is gonna stay more tacky, i knew what needed to be done to the car to keep it fast for the night, which was always to tighten it up just about as far as she would go. Then it was just the matter of getting into the corner just right everytime to beat the other guy coming off.

8. Sponsorship seems to be harder to get for some teams. How hard is it to get a sponsor and how do most teams get sponsors?

Sponsorship is getting harder all the time. Espically at the lower levels of racing. A $500 sponsorship, unfortunatelly wasn't much worth our time anymore. Between trying to keep them happy, and just to put their name on the car, it was usually a waste of time and effort. But on the same hand, the $10,000 sponsors that were needed for my level of racing were few and far between, and if you landed one, you were either lucky, or you had to bend over backwards for them. I don't mind doing what a sponsor wants, and I love to promote my sponsors, but there is that fine line you've got to walk between advertising for them, and going beyond your own expectations. The key to sponsorships anymore is that you are advertising for the business. You are a partner in advertising. The amount of people that get to see your car on the track, or rolling down the highway, or on TV, or in racing publications, is a much higher number than the people who are going to pass a billborad along a roadway. And we know that brand loyalty among racefans to what is advertised on the sides of the racecars is above and beyond any other type of advertising that is out there.

9. What does each individual Sponsorship consist of?

Each sponsorship is different, so it's hard for me to answer this question. You have the primary sponsor, the secondary sponsor, and the associate sponsors. And then you also have cooperative advertising. Each have thier own needs and goals that they want met by the race team and driver in order for it to be a good working relationship. Each sponsor has a contract that is worked out between the team and themselves as too what they are guaranteed throughout the corse of a season, and what the expectations between each of them involve.

10. What is the most time consuming job at the shop?

I'd have to say for our team is was just the weekly race preperation and setup. Between getting the car home, getting it washed, fixing bent or broken parts, changing motor oil, adding fluids, greasing everything, putting everything back togther, and then checking frame

The Rock N Racing Team would like to thank Tim for this great interview! We hope you enjoyed reading it and getting to know Tim as much as we enjoyed conducting the interview! Conducted By ~*~* Jammie S. Foster & Linda M. Tapanes *~*~