Duane Carter was present at the 1955 meeting when USAC was created as a replacement sanctioning body for the departing AAA. A race driver of tremendous accomplishment, he became USAC’s first competition director on Jan. 1, 1956, holding that position until 1959 when he returned to the cockpit.

Eleven Indianapolis 500 starts yielded four top-10 finishes but it was as a respected official where Carter had a profound impact on the history of the United States Auto Club. A member of the Auto Racing Hall of Fame and National Sprint Car and Midget Halls of Fame, Carter passed away May 7, 1993, but his immediate family extended to successful USAC racing sons Pancho and Dana. One of his most notable racing victories came in a 500-lap midget race at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1947.

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