Ghosts of Southern Dirt Tracks

Ervin Carpenter

Ervin started racing in 1950 at the old track in Midland, North Carolina. He talked his way into driving when the regular driver didn't show up. This was the start of a career that would last until the 1990s. He moved his way through the ranks of Semi-modified sedans to the Late Model Sportsman cars on dirt and asphalt. He even dabbled with the Grand National circuit. He traveled and raced in any and all types of cars he could get his hands on. He was a star in the old GATOR big rig truck racing series on asphalt and finished his career in dirt sprint cars.

Now retired and living in Rock Hill, SC, Ervin sat down with Charles Craig of "Racing Around Carolina" and shared some of the highlights and memories of his career in racing. Read the interview and more about Ervin here.

	Ervin built this car for Justus Pontiac for Harold Dunaway to drive circa 1964-1965. It is a sample of Ervin's fabrication abilities.
	Ervin in the Justive Chevy when they were changing over to V-8s
	Ervin and an early Justus Chevy
	Ervin in Pete Taylor's beautiful #75
	1957 after Army tour
	O.L. Nixon's '56 Chevy
	March 1967
	The mini sprint days
	Ervin in the Justus '55 against 1964 cup rookie of year Doug Cooper
	Ervin in the Bob Simmons Camaro
	Ervin's Mustang in August 1973 at Starlight Speedway
	Ervin got the best out of this S&R car
	Ervin at the wheel in the GATOR truck series.
	Daniel Warlick in the center with the Earp crew posing with the fatal Sears car before the accident.Several others including the great Larry Wallace and Dub Simpson also drove it.
	Harold Dunaway and Ervin go at it
	J-2 1962 Jake Jacobs car
	Ervin & Steve Stevens' Camaro
	Bryant Wallace,Dub Simpson,Harold Dunaway,Bob Cooper,Ervin Carpenter from left to right

All photos and articles from the collection of Ervin Carpenter & Charles Craig.

If you have dirt track memories to share, contact me @ bob@webprosolutions.com