Terry began racing in 1981 on dirt at Avilla Motor Speedway. He was voted the Sportsman of the Year from 1982-85 and won his first championship in 1987. In 1989, Avilla was paved and Terry began running on asphalt. He was his second title and also was voted the sportsman of the year for a fourth time. In 1992, he was late model champion in 1992 Baer Field Speedway and was also inducted into the Avilla Speedway Hall of Fame. He added three more championships at Avilla speedway and has 52 career victories. In 2001, he teamed up with Fehl Motorsports in his rookie season in the Sunoco Super Series. He finished 13th in the final standings and was the rookie runner-up. In the 2002 season, Terry placed 10th in the final standings, producing four top-10 finishes.