What started out as a bet over a drink one night has turned into a career!

At a dim and distant club meeting the night before a race back in 1986, the riders were told that the resident commentator was unable to attend the following day’s racing and goaded by his fellow competitors, Carter was told that he’d have to do it!

Never one to shirk a challenge, Larry gamely took to the mic between his races and did a reasonable job to the point that the organisers invited him back later in the season on a number of occasions!

Chat shows, compering and MC duties were next along before being enlisted by Rob McElnea and Paul Major of FORRM to conduct the BSB Press Conferences in 1998 which involved interviewing the winners after each race for the benefit of the media.

Larry with Barry Sheene

Commentating legend Fred Clarke spotted Carter’s prowess and ‘head hunted’ him to work alongside him on the circuit commentary front during 2000 and but for a year when working for BBC TV, Carter – or ‘Scoop’ as Clarke affectionately refers to him as – is now installed as the voice of pit lane in British Superbikes, and quite often the brunt of the champagne showers also!

Whether it’s grabbing an interview with Valentino Rossi atop the British MotoGP podium, prizing a few pre-race World Superbike thoughts out of James Toseland or having the banter on the BSB grid with Shakey Byrne, Larry is the man to do it as he knows the score, and importantly, the riders know him.

Whether it be hosting awards ceremonies, competitor interviews, stage shows, chat shows, if it involves a microphone ‘Scoop’ is usually up for it. The BBC have employed him over the past three years to cover the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix as part of their commentary team and he was part of the official commentary team at the British round of the FIA World Rally Championship with 2010 Wales Rally GB which included the Cardiff and Sweet Lamb stages as well as hosting the ceremonial start and podium presentation.

Larry Interviews Josh Brookes

In addition, ANCRO have hired him to conduct their annual rally awards, as have MCRCB Events to do the BSB awards in the past and is always in demand to do various club awards and presentation evenings and every year, Carter is enlisted to help organisations such as NYRRSC and CJ Fund to host chat shows, where one particular forte is his prowess in raising huge sums for lots in charity auctions!

TV comes under the auspices of Scoop and as well as providing the odd post race interviews for British Eurosport, and fulfilling various roles at Silverstone TV at the British MotoGP, he has been known to do voiceovers on various televised events. Radio, too, as he continues to be part of BSB Radio and also correspondent to Globecast Radio whilst featuring on regular local radio reporting on various disciplines of motorsport.