- Trinkler Coaches and Co-Drives with Mark Sandridge and His Son Jordan Sandridge in Saturday’s International GT (IGT) Endurance Race in the Mission Foods SpeedTour Weekend at Watkins Glen International
- Trinkler Returns to Competition Just Over Eight Months After Sustaining Third-Degree Burns in a Testing Incident and Michelin Pilot Challenge Podium Finish Just Six Weeks Later at Daytona International Speedway
WATKINS GLEN, New York (August 22, 2024) – Owen Trinkler, a past IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) Champion, returns to on-track competition this weekend co-driving with longtime sports car racing driver and entrant Mark Sandridge, and his son Jordan Sandridge, in the No. 58 Team Salad/Sandridge Crafted Foods Type 991 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Saturday’s featured International GT (IGT) Endurance race. The race and full IGT schedule is part of the Mission Foods SpeedTour event today through Sunday at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York.
Trinkler’s return to the cockpit comes a little over eight months after sustaining third-degree burns on his left arm and hand when his Team TGM Aston Martin caught fire at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in a pre-season test session last December. Remarkably, Trinkler drove through the pain of his recovering injuries just six weeks later to not only race at Daytona in January’s season-opening Pilot Challenge GS race but finish on the podium. In addition to the third-place overall and GS-class result, Trinkler qualified second despite minimal practice and led the four-hour race in the early stages.
“I am looking forward to getting back on track this weekend,” Trinkler said. “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the support I received from the IMSA paddock and everyone who reached out to me during my recovery from the third-degree burns sustained during testing at Daytona last December. Among those at the top of that list is Mark Sandridge and his son Jordan who welcome me back to their team this weekend to not only continue coaching with Team Salad but also to co-drive with them in Saturday’s International GT endurance race at Watkins Glen. I can’t thank them for the timely opportunity and I am more than ready to get back behind the wheel and help them get to victory lane and closeout the year’s final stretch of IGT race weekends with a trio of top results.”
With Watkins Glen and two following race weekends the only remaining rounds on the IGT calendar, Mark Sandridge is in the top five of the IGT Mission Foods GT3 Cup Championship standings.
“Owen is not only a gifted driver but also a dedicated and committed professional,” Mark Sandridge said. “His strategic approach to racing, and unwavering focus on improvement have earned him respect and admiration within the racing community. This dedication is evident in his consistent performance and ability to overcome challenges on and off the track. This all contributes to his skill at mentoring drivers as well, and Owen is the perfect coach for developing amateur drivers like my son Jordan and myself. Under Owen’s guidance, we have significantly improved our driving skills and gained a deeper appreciation for the sport.”
This weekend’s race in the Porsche will be Trinkler’s first in competition since January’s heroic effort. After that race, Trinkler’s successful seven-year run with TGM came to a conclusion, but he has kept busy coaching the Sandridges and others.
His 2018 Pilot Challenge driver and team championship titles played a role in Trinkler being named GT4 Driver of The Year in Sportscar365.com’s popular year-end acknowledgements published each December.
With nearly 200 IMSA race starts and a Pilot Challenge record of wins ranking in the top 10, Trinkler aims to leverage his extensive experience and past success to secure a full-time driving role for the 2025 season. He is also focused on completing his ahead-of-schedule recovery from last year’s injuries.
“My personal team and the medical professionals have been nothing short of outstanding, and I am making progress each day,” Trinkler said. “As I continue to heal, we are also exploring our options for the 2025 race season. This journey has reinforced my appreciation for the strength of our racing community. With over 30 years of experience in the paddock, I am eager to lead a new team toward a championship as we look ahead.”
