Wade Carter

Wade CarterWade Carter started racing in the mid-50s and was still going strong 45 years later in vintage racing until his untimely death in a helicopter accident in 2001. Wade was born in Coos Bay, Oregon in 1930 and moved to Salem as a young man to work in Harry Eyerly’s VW dealership. Wade was always interested in racing and drove with a friend to watch the races at Pebble Beach in 1954. His first race was in his future wife Mary’s MGTD at Tillamook in 1955, where he pitted with the Eyerlys. Wade and Mary then married and were frequent and popular fixtures at northwest sports car races for many years. Wade first achieved real racing prominence driving a red Porsche Speedster in which he ruled the small-bore production roost in 1958 and 1959, losing time to a go-kart accident mid-way through the 1958 season (and thus allowing the author’s father to win the class championship that year—ed.). He moved to a Lotus 11 in 1960 and then raced Formula Junior cars before moving up to bigger-engined Porsches in the 60s. The Carters left their Salem racing friends and moved to Seattle to open a Volkswagen dealership in 1960 and the business is still going strong today under the management of the Carter family. Wade, Junior, is a top vintage racer in his own right and Mary Carter still maintains a great collection of racing memorabilia and cars at the Carter home in northeast Seattle.