[admin]

12/23/20 12:04 PM TWO-TIME USAC MIDGET WINNER TERRY WENTE PASSES

More...



TWO-TIME USAC MIDGET WINNER TERRY WENTE PASSES

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Speedway, Indiana (December 23, 2020)………Two-time USAC National Midget feature winning driver and 1988 series runner-up Terry Wente passed away Tuesday, December 22, 2020.* He was 65 years old.

Wente, a Missouri native, was the son of the third all-time winningest driver in USAC National Midget history, 1963 champion Bob Wente.* Terry, along with brothers Bobby Wente Jr. and Mike Wente, were frequent competitors with the series throughout the decade of the 1980s with Terry being the most frequent racer of them all, making 161 feature starts between his 1979 debut and his final start in a points race in 1991.

Terry reached victory lane with the series in just his seventh career start, winning the first USAC race of the 1980s, on January 6, 1980, at Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind. for car owner Jerry Hatton.

He reached his highwater mark in the championship race between the years of 1986 and 1988 where he annually reeled off consistent finishes in the final standings, among them an 8th in 1986, a 3rd in 1987 and a 2nd in 1988.* Despite no victories in that span, Wente did record eight runner-up feature results in those three years and totaled a career-high 13 top-five finishes in both 1987 and 1988.

Despite scaling back to a partial USAC schedule in the following years, Wente tallied his second and final victory with the series in late 1989 at his home state track of Moberly Motorsports Complex in Moberly, Mo.* He finished 10th in the standings in his final season of 1991, then made one more start in the non-points invitational USAC Midget race indoors at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Ind. in January 1992 before embarking on an ASA Stock Car career during the 1992-1993 seasons.

Following the conclusion of his racing career, in 1994, Wente began owning and operating Wente's O & W Restaurant and Saloon in Chesterfield, Mo. for 26 years before retiring on August 31, 2020.

*

*

[treecitytornado]

I'm shocked & very saddened by this news!! My sincere condolences, thoughts, and prayers are with Terry's family & friends!!

He was on Facebook only 2 days ago.

Does anyone know what happened?


God Bless!!

[opnwhlmnd]

Glad I got to join Terry in his last race attended. Sweet Springs, MO USAC Midget race in September.

I haven't asked what he passed away from as I want to give family space right now. I do know he had to have kidney dialysis very often the last few years.

A great man gone. When I first started racing midgets in the mid 80s he was always very helpful and we became friends. Hung out with him at his bar quite often.

I've never seen anyone honor their father as much as Terry. His whole bar was based around his fathers racing.

Race on my friend we are sure going to miss you.

[red70racer]

Terry had kidney issues
At the last St. Louis old timers reunion held at his bar he told me he was in dialysis
Terry was always a stand on the gas guy, got to know him better after racing and was a great guy
Godspeed Terry