Wente began his racing career in 1953 competing in midget cars at the St. Louis Auto Racing Association. His talent in the small-displacement, high-revving machines was evident from early on, and he steadily built a reputation as one of the Midwest's most formidable midget car drivers.
His first major regional title came in 1960 when he won the Midwest region of the USAC National Midget Championship. That season he fell agonisingly short of the overall national title, finishing second to Jimmy Davies by a margin of just 9.75 points. Wente continued to push for the national crown and in 1961 captured the USAC Indoor Midget Championship, demonstrating his versatility across different venue formats.
After three consecutive runner-up finishes in the national midget standings, Wente finally claimed the USAC National Midget Championship outright in 1963. The title cemented his standing among the elite of American oval racing and came paired with a victory in the prestigious Hut Hundred that same year.
He went on to add wins in the Night Before the 500 in both 1969 and 1976, two editions of the marquee race held on the eve of the Indianapolis 500. Wente's longevity in midget competition allowed him to remain competitive across multiple eras of the series.
Wente parlayed his open-wheel experience into a campaign in the USAC Championship Car series. He competed across the 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1967 seasons, accumulating eleven career starts at the top level of American single-seater racing.
His most famous appearance came at the 1964 Indianapolis 500, where he started from the 32nd position in his number 68 Trevis/Offenhauser. The opening lap of that race turned tragic when a fire engulfed multiple cars, claiming the lives of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald in one of the most harrowing accidents in Indianapolis 500 history. Despite witnessing the catastrophe unfold immediately ahead of him, Wente pressed on through the chaos and ultimately charged through the field to finish ninth — a remarkable result from such a deep grid position under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
He attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1965 and again in 1966 but was unable to make the field on either occasion. Away from Indianapolis, his best Championship Car result came at Trenton in 1965, where he finished third.
In addition to his midget and championship car activities, Wente also won a single USAC Sprint Car race, reflecting the breadth of his open-wheel skill set. He remained connected to the racing world long after his driving career concluded, channelling his passion for the sport into business ventures. He owned and operated Wente's O & W (Open Wheel), a restaurant in Chesterfield, Missouri that he ran until his death on August 13, 2000.
Wente's contributions to midget car racing were formally recognised in 1984 when he was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class. His placement in the first cohort of inductees underscored the significance of his achievements across a discipline that remains one of the grassroots cornerstones of American motorsport. Ranked second all time in USAC National Midget Car victories behind Mel Kenyon, his record stands as a testament to sustained excellence at the highest level of the discipline.