4/27/2025
Bloomington Speedway
Sam Hinds: It's go Time
It isn’t easy being a rookie sprint car driver in Indiana, and that alone makes it difficult to grab the attention of the paying public. Sam Hinds proved to be a different kind of cat. From his first race at Lincoln Park Speedway, he demonstrated the proper mixture of respect and desire that can portend a long tenure in the sport.
A 2023 graduate of Westfield High School where he participated in track and cross country, Hinds fell into racing in the most Hoosier fashion imaginable. As he describes it, he was watching an IndyCar race with his father when he proclaimed that racing was something he wanted to try. Luckily, his father Steve Hinds did not reject the idea out of hand. There was a reason for this. Steve first served on the crew of his father-in-law Don Reed’s Top Fuel Dragster and later took a similar position with four-time NHRA champion Steve Torrance. Yes, he had the speed bug too,
While a racing pedigree is always a plus, Sam’s uncle Larry Hinds was also an announcer at the world-class New Castle Motorsports Park. Affording his young nephew a chance to see karts in action was easily done, and the impact was immediate. When asked if he was still interested in giving this a whirl he didn’t hesitate. The response was swift for as Sam reports, “we bought a kart that night.”
Karting at this level is serious business. Like all forms of motorsports there is one truth. The old adage proclaims that speed cost money, and the follow-up question is always how fast do you want to go? The Hinds family was never going to win the cubic dollars race, but they could do the necessary work and preparation and from there rely on their young charge’s determination to improve. It all paid off. “We raced with USPKS (United States Pro Kart Series), the Route 66 Sprint Series and a lot with WKA,” Sam says, “Considering the competition we had good success. We always ran up front with the main guys and got on the podium a lot.”
Changes in the kart world suggested it was time to switch course, and in 2019 Hinds made his first starts in a Kenyon midget. Finding the transition to his liking, the next season he proved he belonged. He took the Dick Jordan Classic at Anderson Speedway in June and with three wins to his credit (including a victory at the Indianapolis Speedrome) he was in the championship hunt all the way to the October finale. On this day he did everything in his power to earn the top spot on the final podium. He was the fastest qualifier, took his heat race, and then led all 30 laps of the feature event. Alas, Colin Grissom had done enough to win the title by just fifteen tallies. There were no regrets. “It was a great year,” he says, “we got four poles and four wins. It was a fund season because Colin was the kind of driver you could battle it out with and have no problems.” To no one’s surprise Sam was named Rookie of the Year.
In contrast 2021 was what often is euphemistically referred to as a character building year. “It was the lowest season we have had,” he admits, “I had some issues driving, and some things just didn’t work out well.” However, there was one bright spot that led to some changes in his program. While he had run some dirt with the Kenyon cars, the lion’s share of his seat time had come on pavement. Then came a date at Circle City Raceway where he clearly shined. In the aftermath his father asked if he wanted to concentrate on dirt racing in 2022. The answer was yes. There was some discussion of moving to a D2 midget but in the end, it was decided to get a mini sprint and race with the Midwest Mini Sprint Association. A detonated engine knocked him out for six months in his first MMSA season, but 2023 was much better.
At this point it was decided that the time had come to consider sprint cars. Father and son consulted with racer Andy Bradley who got them what they needed to get going. The engine came from eastern Ohio, and at this moment Sam realized that he was dealing with an entirely different animal. “We travelled about five hours to get the engine,” Sam recalls, “and my first thought was this is big. This wasn’t like a kart or mini sprint engine. This thing was going to be right at my feet.”
Steve and Sam Hinds travelled to the No Way Out 40 at Paragon Speedway in March where a stout field was on. The plan was to shake down their new car the following day, but Sam was champing at the bit. “I did everything I could do to run that race,” Sam admits with a laugh, but my dad was not going to let that happen until we had tested. That was probably a good idea.”
Nothing unfolded during the test to dissuade Sam from the notion that he was ready to go. Nonetheless, his father was quick to offer perspective. “That was my first time in the car,” Hinds says. “and by the time we got on the track it was pretty loose and there wasn’t much grip. So, I’m thinking this is easy, but my dad said, dude, this track is slick.”
His day finally came. On April 13, 2024, he was set to make his first voyage at Lincoln Park Speedway. There were 39 sprint cars on hand. While all that transpired certainly got his attention, he was far from out of his depth. “The car reacted quicker,” he says, “and the horsepower difference was there. You can feel it. But the entire process was new. I wasn’t used to push starts, and I wasn’t used to running the cushion because in MMSA you really didn’t have enough gear to get up there.”
All of those factors portended a trying first experience. Then a funny thing happened. Hinds transferred through his heat race and while he fell back a few spots in the feature his performance was more than just credible. All told he put 22 races under his belt, a number that was limited in part by his engine. “We didn’t know how many races were on our engine,” he notes, “so we wanted to be on the safe side of things and didn’t want to hurt it.”
The high point of the year is easy to identify. On September 21, he signed in at Paragon Speedway and again faced a strong field. It was night that left him both proud and frustrated. He was leading with five laps to go when he watched Ricky Lewis and Jadon Rogers get around him. It was also a learning experience. “It was a good feeling for sure to finish on the podium,” he says, “but I led for 20 laps, so it was like, come on. My dad thought I was tired and fatigued at the end.” The result? In the off season the focus has been on improving his general level of fitness.
In the end he is proud of what he accomplished in his first year. “ I could have done better in some places,” he says, “but as a team I think we did pretty well. It’s our car. For a family team we did all right.” His dad and uncle Alan remain at his side, Bob Chandler has been with him since his Kenyon midget days, and Nick Miller has provided important guidance. “Nick has worked with other drivers,” Sam says, “he can help translate what I am feeling, and he watches races with me and gives me tips.”
As for the future, he thinks he has found a home because he loves racing a sprint car. “I like to be on the aggressive side,” he notes, “so this fits my driving style. I just needed to learn what to do and when to do it. I had to learn how to adjust shocks during the race. That was anew thing for me, and I made some mistakes and went the wrong way.” That will improve.
The confidence remains high, a new website is coming, and Sam Hinds cannot wait to fire up the car for the first time in 2025. The goal is to vie for the Ford High Performance Driving School Championship and earn a ride at the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa. A tall order? Perhaps. Yet, it is only April, and he has already visited victory lane.
Rich Forman photo
Article Credit: Patrick Sullivan