Wente in his Indian summer

Press, 29 January 1982, Page 17

Wente in his Indian summer

By

Alistair Armstrong

Bob Wente, a United States midget car veteran with one of that country’s best-ever track records, will be driving at the Ruapuna Park Speedway tomorrow. The 47-year-old Missouri restaurateur is in New Zealand on a two-month tour — with his youngest son, Michael, acting as a crewsupport — which has so far taken in four meetings at the Western Springs track in Auckland, and the national grand prix in Nelson. Wente is now in ■ the twilight of a career which has spanned 25 seasons and included more than 70 feature wins on the United States Auto Club circuit — a record topped only by the great Mel Kenyon.

Wente has racked up three United States championship wins and four second placings, although in recent years he has confined his appearances to championship events, which he says, in themselves don’t earn enough points to put him in contention for the over-all title. However, he continues to finish among the top five circuit drivers and win events such as the Florida and Texas state championships.

He has also won the last two U.S.A.C. indoor championships, which have been held on a one-fifth-mile track in a coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Wente’s best effort in New Zealand so far has been a second placing in Auckland two weeks ago, however, the LTC-VW he has borrowed to race here has had chassis problems. The borrowed car belongs to Wente’s oldest son, Bobby Jr., and Wente brought it to this country in preference to his own Grant King machine because he had heard it would be better-suited to the local tracks.

Wente has been impressed with the standard of racing in New Zealand and says it is on a par with that in his

own country. “You haven’t got as many cars as we have but what you do have are good equipment,” he said. Wente said that the United States could have as many as 2000 midget car drivers, including those who participate at club level, and the 200plus who are registered with the U.S.A.C. • On a personal level, the name “Midget” for the midsize cars is something Wente feels could be due for a change. “Midgets were originally named after Midget Indianapolis cars but then Indie changed so much and there are so many different classes

of “Midgets,” like the TQs and the quarter midgets and so forth that I think they should have a special name of their own.” he said.

“I think they could have a contest or something and perhaps pick the best name from that.

Wente says he heard the name “Speed” cars during an Australian visit and thinks it would be an appropriate title.

Looking to Saturday’s Capital Wholesale Midget Classic at Ruapuna, Wente is confident that with his chassis problems sorted out,

he will be able to perform well.

“Of course we were always into it when we were in Auckland — the car ran all the time, but it just didn't handle as well as it could, We weren’t first or anything but we have been right up in

there,” he said. Among Wente’s rivals at Ruapuna will be a number of New Zealand’s leading Midget drivers, including the first and second placegetters at last week’s national championships, Owen Shaw (Auckland) and

Mark Williams (Christchurch) respectively.

Shaw has been the in-form driver of recent weeks, having won the North Island championship at Tauranga earlier this month as well as his national title win. Several other Auckland drivers who contested the New Zealand championships will also be lining up. Steve Watson, Toby Smith and possibly Warwick Keene should give the local drivers another tough run for placings. As an added attraction, Chris King, a Christchurch stunt man who has spent the last three years working in Ireland, will be performing with motor-cycles and cars.