Bob Wente
Encyclopedia
Bob Wente was an American racecar driver.
in 1953 at the St. Louis Auto Racing Association. He won the Midwest region of the USAC
National Midget
championship in 1960, and finished second by 9.75 points to Jimmy Davies
. Wente won the USAC Indoor Midget championship in 1961. He won his first USAC National Midget championship in 1963 after finishing second for three straight years. Wente is second on the list of all-time USAC National Midget car winners behind Mel Kenyon
.
Notable races that he won include the Hut Hundred in 1963, and the Night Before the 500 in 1969 and 1976.
Championship Car series. He raced in the 1963-1965 and 1967 seasons, with 11 career starts, including the 1964 Indianapolis 500
. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 3rd position in 1965 at Trenton.
Despite witnessing the tragic events in front of him on the opening lap of the 1964 Indianapolis 500
that claimed the lives of Eddie Sachs
and Dave MacDonald
, Wente charged from his 32nd starting spot to take ninth place at the checkers in his number 68, Trevis/Offenhauser. Wente attempted to qualify the next two seasons in 1965 and 1966, but failed to make the field.
Wente also won a single USAC Sprint car
race.
Wente remained in the racing business long after his driving career ended. He stayed busy by owning and operating a restaurant named Wente's O & W (Open Wheel) in Chesterfield, Missouri
up until his death.
Midget car
He started racing midget carsMidget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
in 1953 at the St. Louis Auto Racing Association. He won the Midwest region of the USAC
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
National Midget
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
championship in 1960, and finished second by 9.75 points to Jimmy Davies
Jimmy Davies
Jimmy Davies was an American racecar driver in Champ cars and midgets. He was the second man to win three USAC National Midget Championships....
. Wente won the USAC Indoor Midget championship in 1961. He won his first USAC National Midget championship in 1963 after finishing second for three straight years. Wente is second on the list of all-time USAC National Midget car winners behind Mel Kenyon
Mel Kenyon
Mel Kenyon is a former midget car driver. He is known as the "King of the Midgets", "Miraculous Mel", and "Champion of Midget Auto Racing." The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America says "Many consider him to be midget car racing's greatest driver ever." -Racing career:He attended his first auto...
.
Notable races that he won include the Hut Hundred in 1963, and the Night Before the 500 in 1969 and 1976.
Championship Car
Wente used his midget car experiences to earn a ride in the USACUnited States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
Championship Car series. He raced in the 1963-1965 and 1967 seasons, with 11 career starts, including the 1964 Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 3rd position in 1965 at Trenton.
Despite witnessing the tragic events in front of him on the opening lap of the 1964 Indianapolis 500
1964 Indianapolis 500
The 1964 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1964. It was won by A.J. Foyt, but is best known for a fiery seven-car, second-lap accident that resulted in the deaths of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald...
that claimed the lives of Eddie Sachs
Eddie Sachs
Edward Julius Sachs, Jr, born May 28, 1927 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, died May 30, 1964 in Speedway, Indiana was a United States Auto Club driver who was known as the "Clown Prince of Auto Racing." He coined the phrase "If you can't win, be spectacular."...
and Dave MacDonald
Dave MacDonald
David George MacDonald was an American road racing champion noted for his successes driving Corvettes and Shelby Cobras in the early 1960s. His promising career ended abruptly after a crash in the 1964 Indianapolis 500 in which he was one of two drivers killed in a fiery inferno that directly led...
, Wente charged from his 32nd starting spot to take ninth place at the checkers in his number 68, Trevis/Offenhauser. Wente attempted to qualify the next two seasons in 1965 and 1966, but failed to make the field.
Wente also won a single USAC Sprint car
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
race.
Wente remained in the racing business long after his driving career ended. He stayed busy by owning and operating a restaurant named Wente's O & W (Open Wheel) in Chesterfield, Missouri
Chesterfield, Missouri
Chesterfield is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis and is the largest city in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population is 47,484. Chesterfield also celebrated its 20th birthday in 2008.- Geography :...
up until his death.
Award
- He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of FameNational Midget Auto Racing Hall of FameThe National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be accessed during weekly Sunday races during the summer.-A-C:...
in its first class in 1984.