Al Carter Rolex 24 Post-Race Report

Today, race car driver and cancer survivor from Greenville, Delaware, Al Carter, became a Rolex 24 At Daytona Champion. He took Carter only four Rolex 24 At Daytona participations to win the Greatest endurance race in North America.

Carter's No. 93 SRT Viper race car with Ben Keating at the wheel started last in the GTD class field of the Daytona race yesterday at 2:00 p.m. After a twice-around-the-clock run with the No. 93 TI Automotive /ViperExchange / B+ Foundation / BarVision / Newport Group / Sideskinz /Stinkerz Riley Motorsports Viper GT3-R, Al Carter and his four teammates, Ben Keating, Dominik Farnbacher, Kuno Wittmer and Cameron Lawrence were able to win one of the two most recognized endurance races in the world.Carter, who were entered in the No. 33 and No. 93 Viper GT3-Rs, drove multiple stints during the race in both cars and never made a single mistake. He executed what the Riley Motorsports team was expecting from him. The No. 33 and 93 cars ran in the top five most of the race and in the final hour of the race, after battling the best Porsches and Ferraris, the No. 93 came on top of its GTD class."You feel it in Ben Keating's emotion, and I know that we all share that. Like Cameron Lawrence, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity by Ben Keating and Bill Riley to test with them, and quickly what I realized was they had the best prepared team and the best crew that I've encountered in my relatively short racing career, so for me it's kind of an honor to be a part of the team," said Al Carter." For me to be part of that program, receive a Rolex cosmography Daytona and be part of theses guys day, you call it like a tombstone moment because that's how special it is. Since it's not my first win like Cameron's, I know how difficult they are and what has to go right, and Riley Motorsports, TI Automotive and all these guys that have been working together for the last couple years, they won this race today because of their ethic and how they prepared as well as their talent, and for me it's very special."Al Carter's driving talent and determination to succeed have continually shaped his racing career, attracting attention as early as his rookie year, by winning two Skip Barber Series Master Championships in a row. As an accomplished racer, a graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in finance, and a father of three teenage children, Carter knows competition and how to excel while in the heat of it.Carter competed in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (CTSCC) between 2010 and 2014. In 2011, he scored one pole, one podium in Alabama and two top 5s, led 40 laps, and finished 8th in the series. In 2012, Carter led the driver and team championships for a while and finished 5th in the CTSCC Team point standings.Carter visited the podium of three major races in three different series in 2012. He finished 2nd in the World Challenge at Mid-Ohio, 2nd, driving a Porsche in his first-ever ALMS race at Mid-Ohio, and won the GTC class of the ALMS Grand Prix of Baltimore, the first-ever professional win of his career.Carter started the 2013 season with a 2nd participation in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, then continued racing an Audi R8 in four rounds of the Rolex Series. In the meantime, he also competed in the full season of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS class and scored a podium finish at Watkins Glen. In parallel, Carter competed in the 12 Hours of Sebring and in the Grand Prix of Baltimore ALMS races and raced in two rounds of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo in Kansas and VIR, scoring three podium finishes, including his first overall win in that series at Kansas Speedway.In 2014 Carter drove the 007 Aston Martin Racing Vantage in the GTD class of the IMSA TUDOR Championship. His best finish was 4th in Detroit. Carter also competed in all 12 rounds of the 2014 CTSCC, co-driving a Rebel Rock Racing Porsche, and scored a podium finish in Kansas. For 2015, Carter built an interesting TUDOR Championship racing program. He will co-drive the No. 93 ViperExchange.com Viper GT3-R in the GT Daytona class during the four races of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup (Rolex 24, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen and Petit Le Mans). One of Al's announced 2015 primary objectives was to score a podium finish at Daytona International Speedway. This weekend Carter just achieved that childhood dream.Next race for Carter will be the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida scheduled for March 18-21.