PARTNER PROFILE
C & C MOTORSPORTS
C & C Motorsports Celebrates 50 Years in Business
BY NATE VAN WAGNEN
Fifty years in business has taught Carroll Carter a thing or two about fast Fords . He took his early passion for racing Fords and turned it into a business , one that would become a valuable resource for fellow Ford racers looking for hard-to-find performance parts . Carter ’ s C & C Motorsports is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021 , and the Manassas , Virginia-based performance shop continues to innovate .
Carter started racing right out of high school in the mid-1960s with a B / Modified Production entry – a ’ 57 Ford Fairlane , of course . He was one of a few racers in his arena running Fords , which helped him stand out and acquire sponsorship from Ford-focused brands . But a small customer base meant there were few companies offering Ford aftermarket performance parts for racers who wanted to go quicker and faster . That inspired Carter to start focusing on manufacturing blue oval parts out of the machine shop he founded in 1971 .
“ When I quit racing in ‘ 93 , I decided to make Ford parts because you couldn ’ t get anything ,” Carter says . “ Even when I was racing , we were always modifying things to make it work for the Ford engines . I had a B / Altered car and a Mountain Motor Pro Stock car . I sold all that stuff because it was impossible to get any decent parts for them . So I got into making the Hemi
Ford stuff back in ‘ 94 and started making blocks and cylinder heads .”
Today , C & C Motorsports specializes in manufacturing 429 / 460 big-block Ford aluminum solid and water engine blocks and components . Several lines of proprietary parts from sleeves to gaskets are available . C & C offers all components for each style block , including stud kits , Hemi solid and water cylinder heads , valve covers , intake manifolds , gear drives , oil pans , camshafts , crankshafts , and nuts and bolts to assemble .
One of the company ’ s newest offerings are the solid Pro-18 cylinder heads . They were developed to meet the needs of racers who bought a similar product from C & C that was made by another company . The other company stopped producing them , and after a few years of waiting , Carter and his team took matters into their own hands and developed their own version .
“ We went in and made a head so basically all the previous parts would fit ,” Carter explains , “ so the guys could buy a new casting without having to buy new valves , new rocker arms and everything else . We made a head with a lot of upgrades that it needed . We also made a manifold so the guys would have that .”
C & C Motorsports includes a full-service machine shop , offering services like Superflow dyno testing , complete engine assembly , and flow bench testing for cylinder heads and fuel systems .
Its sister company , C & C Auto Performance , is known as an original speed shop in the DMV area , offering a wide variety of performance parts , accessories , wheels , tires , and even VP Racing Fuels .
After nearly 30 years in the driver ’ s seat and 50 years in business , Carter sure has a lot to be proud of . Out of all of his accomplishments , he ’ s most proud of what he ’ s contributed to the Ford racing community , as well as the business he ’ s built .
“ Being able to succeed doing the Ford parts and making sure the guys who like to run Fords can get parts for them is what I ’ m most proud of ,” Carter says . “ To be able to start from where we were – a two-man shop with 2-3 pieces of equipment – and to reach the point where we are now with a complete , up-to-date shop with dynos and all the equipment , that means a lot .
“ It ’ s been a long journey , but it ’ s been a good one ,” he continues . “ I wouldn ’ t want to do it any other way . I met a lot of people , traveled with NHRA and IHRA a lot and did good . But the biggest thing is just being able to design and make all the engine blocks and parts and be able to have a successful business with repeat customers . We have customers who ’ ve been coming to us for 30 years .”
And with Carter ’ s son , Chris , serving an integral role in the company since joining the family business out of college , C & C Motorsports ’ customers can be sure they ’ ll have a place to buy quality Ford cylinder heads and blocks for many years to come .
“ Chris is into racing too and we just got a new race car for him . He ’ s been here long enough that he can carry it on . I used to get all the phone calls , now he gets them ,” Carter laughs .
Find more information on C & C Motorsports and its products by visiting www . CandCMotorsports . com or by calling 703-368-7878 . DI
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