Trent Hindman, son of Kim & Douglas, started racing karts as an 8 year old. After winning multiple club championships at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ in 2005, he began competing in World Karting Association National events.
2008 was an exceptional year for Trent. In addition to finishing in the top three in WKA season points, Trent also competed in the STARS of Karting series. Trent won the Cadet East Division, Cadet West Division, and topped it off with the Cadet National Championship. He competed in the SKUSA Supernationals that year as well, finishing in second place in HPV Junior.
In 2009, Trent once again contested the World Karting Association National series, ending up with two National victories en route to a season ending 2nd and 3rd place finish overall. He was awarded “Most Improved Junior Driver” at the end of the season.
Trent began the transition into cars in early 2009. He competed in several Skip Barber Regional races, finishing on the podium many times. By the beginning of 2010, Trent finished 4th overall in points in the Skip Barber Southern Series. He was awarded “Most Improved Driver” in the Skip Barber Southern Series.
In 2010, Trent continued to compete in the Skip Barber Regional Series. In December of 2010, Trent competed in the Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out in Laguna Seca, California. After four intense days of competition, Trent was awarded one of the two top prizes; a scholarship to compete in the full 2011 season of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda. He is now part of the Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Driver program.
2011 started off slowly for Trent, but as the year progressed, his results did too. He was able to finish his season in the Skip Barber National Series in second place, with 6 poles, 3 wins, and 9 podiums. Trent won the Rookie of the Year award as well. In between all of the excitement of running the Skip Barber National, Trent was also given the opportunity to race the Ontario Formula Ford Championship with Brian Graham Racing Team Grote as well. It was a great season as Trent went on to win the championship with 10 poles, 8 wins, and 12 podiums finishes. He also received Rookie of the Year honors.
One of the biggest wins of Trent’s career came in June with BGR Team Grote during the weekend of the Formula One Grand Prix of Canada. The Formula Ford 1600 drivers ran the support races prior to the start of the Formula One race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Trent took the win in the wet on Sunday in Race 2.
Another incredible highlight of 2011 was Trent’s selection to the Team USA Scholarship. After a long interview process and an on-track shootout, Trent was chosen out of fourteen other standout junior drivers in the US to travel to the UK to compete in the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy races.
In his first time ever racing in Europe, Trent qualified on the pole and won his first heat race in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch. Unfortunately, in his Sunday morning semi-final, he made contact in the ever-so-difficult Druids Bend, forcing him to start 21st in the main event. Trent was able to claw his way back up to the top-10 where he finished a respectable 9th place. Two weeks later saw Hindman travel back to England for his second trip, this time at Silverstone for the Walter Hayes Trophy. After qualifying 3rd, then winning and placing 4th in each of his heat races, Trent was 7th on the grid for the start of the Grand Final. An incredible 15 lap battle took place where the top seven cars challenged for the win. The young American found himself all over this lead pack and finished a very well deserved 6th place.
For the 2012 season, Trent is looking forward to running the USF2000 Championship with Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. Trent would like to thank his parents, and his main partners Premiere Woodcraft, Zydro+, Sparco, and Racelite Protection. He would also like to give a big shout out to Jeremy Shaw and all of the supporters of the Team USA Scholarship.
