— Cory Carter likes to hunt, fish and race cars – and not necessarily in that order.

“When I’m not racing, I’m hunting. I just like to go out and find ducks,” he said. “It’s just fun to me. I also like to fish for crappie.”

While his exploits in the outdoors isn’t readily known, his success at Thunderbird Speedway is well-documented and impressive. And, the 22-year-old Muskogee native readily admits he has most of his fun on the race track.

“I just love it. I love going out and trying to win races,” he said. “Racing is like an addiction for me. I get an adrenaline rush from doing it. I don’t like to lose.”

Carter hasn’t lost much this season at Thunderbird. He’s won five features and leads the track’s Street Stock class with 380 points. His closest competitor is Dan Parks with 310 points.

The 2008 Hilldale High School graduate credits his uncle Tom Snyder, Jr. for his success in racing.

“He raced for seven years, but he doesn’t do it now,” Carter said. “I used to watch him race and when I did, I knew I wanted to be a racer. I just grew up helping him with his car.”

After all, Snyder won the points championships at the then-Outlaw Motor Speedway and at Thunderbird Speedway during his career. He’s more behind the scenes these days and that’s the way he likes it.

“I give him a little advice here and there,” Snyder said. “I don’t have to tell him much. He’s picked up racing really well. He’s a good driver, has good equipment and he has a lot of talent.”

However, Carter has received more than advice from his uncle.

“He gave me his car and I won my first race in it three years ago,” Carter said. “He helps me all of the time now. He builds my motors. We’re close, just like my father and I are close.”

Carter began racing when he was 17. After a couple of years of racing at Outlaw, he stopped and took a break from competition three years ago.

The rest was beneficial. It recharged him.

“It made me want to race even more,” Carter, who works on bows and arrows and other hunting equipment at his job, said. “I knew I wanted to be out there.”

He learned more about racing during that time.

“I’ve picked up things just in this last year,” he said. “I think I’m more consistent.”

Carter particularly enjoys being on the track at Thunderbird than the track now known as South 69 Speedway.

“I don’t have anything against the other track. I just prefer Thunderbird because it’s a little faster track,” he said. “I also like being around those guys.”

Of course, that’s when Cory Carter isn’t hunting or fishing.