Jay Baruchel Playing Ken Carter in New Movie About the Daredevil Who Died During a Stunt in Peterborough
/By Scott Arnold
A new Canadian movie about legendary stuntman Ken Carter is coming to theatres this month. For many in Peterborough, Carter is a name they may remember for a very different reason.
Ken Carter, known as “The Mad Canadian,” became famous for his daring car stunts before his final jump ended in tragedy in Peterborough in 1983. (photo via facebook @themadcanadian)
If you have never heard of Ken Carter, you may soon.
The Canadian stuntman known as “The Mad Canadian” is the subject of The Stunt Driver, a new feature film starring Jay Baruchel as Carter and directed by Michael Dowse. The movie hits Canadian theatres on September 25th, telling the story of Carter’s remarkable and often dangerous career, including his ambitious attempt to launch a rocket-powered car across the St. Lawrence River.
The film also made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, with Baruchel appearing at the festival to promote the movie.
But while much of Carter’s story played out elsewhere, his final stunt happened in Peterborough.
And it ended his life.
Carter made a name for himself performing increasingly dangerous car jumps. His most ambitious project was an attempt to jump more than a mile across the St. Lawrence River in a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental, a feat documented in the 1981 National Film Board documentary The Devil at Your Heels.
Jay Baruchel stars as legendary Canadian stuntman Ken Carter in The Stunt Driver, which arrives in Canadian theatres on September 25th. (photo via mongrel media)
The new movie is inspired by that larger story, following Carter’s determination to pull off the seemingly impossible jump and the people who became part of his pursuit. Baruchel plays Carter, with Ed Helms and Ben Foster also among the cast.
But after years of high-profile stunts, Carter eventually brought his rocket-powered car to Peterborough.
At the time, Westgate Speedway was the name of the track that now operates as Peterborough Speedway. The facility opened in 1967 and has been part of the local motorsports scene for decades.
On July 1st, 1983, Carter attempted to jump a pond at the track.
The first attempt went badly, with the car ending up in the water. Carter survived and vowed to try the jump again.
He returned to Peterborough later that summer.
On September 5th, 1983, Carter climbed behind the wheel of a rocket-powered Pontiac Firebird for another attempt.
This time, the stakes were even higher. Carter was attempting to break his own ramp-to-ramp world record of 186 feet, with the vehicle expected to clear the span between the ramps.
The jump went horribly wrong.
Contemporary reports said the rocket-powered car overshot the landing ramp by almost 100 feet before crashing.
A crowd of about 2,500 people was at Westgate Speedway that night, according to a newspaper report from the time.
Carter, 45, suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at Peterborough Civic Hospital.
It was the final stunt for a man who had built his reputation around pushing the limits of what a car could do.
More than four decades later, Carter’s story is returning to the big screen.
Jay Baruchel portrays legendary Canadian stuntman Ken Carter in The Stunt Driver, a film exploring Carter’s dangerous career and his ambitious attempt to launch a rocket-powered car across the St. Lawrence River. (photo via mongrel media)
