2023 Porsche Selected Driver, 2018 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Champion, 2017 3rd in IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, 2016 Formula Tour F1600 Champion, 2016 Canadian F1600 Super Series Champion, 2015 US Open Rotax Junior Champion, 2014 SKUSA Pro Tour S5 Shifter Champion
Trenton Estep[1] (born November 24, 1999) is an American professional racing driver. Estep[2] grew up racing karts from the age of 4 years old in New Braunfels, Texas.[3] He competed in various karting competitions such as SKUSA Pro Tour,[4] Florida Winter Tour, US Open and Rotax Grand Finals in Portugal. In 2016 he made the transition from karts to open wheel cars. He entered the Formula Tour F1600, Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series and Canadian F1600 Super Series winning two championships. He also ran in the opening round of the Redbull[5]Global Rallycross Championship[6] in Phoenix Arizona. In 2017 Estep made his transition from open wheel to cars in the North American Porsche GT3 Cup Series,[7] with JDX Racing.[8] Estep finished on podium 11 of 16 races with multiple wins placing 3rd in the Porsche GT3 Cup Championship. In 2018 he returned to the Porsche GT3 Cup series with JDX Racing with renewed sponsorship by Hertz Global along with a new sponsor Byers Porsche of Columbus Ohio.[9] Estep went on to finish on Podium in 14 of 16 races winning the 2018 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Championship.[10] A final honor to end his season was being chosen by Porsche Motorsports to attend the Porsche Junior Programme Shootout in Le Castellet at Circuit Paul Ricard. Estep was only 1 of 11 and the youngest at age 18 of the top Porsche drivers from all over the world under the age of 25 to receive the exclusive invite.[11] At the end of the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America season Trenton was chosen by Porsche Motorsport North America as a "Porsche Selected Driver" for 2023.[12] Starting in 2019 through present Trenton is a professional driver coach and driver for MDK Motorsports based in Pataskala Ohio.
Estep was born in San Antonio, Texas[13] and started racing go-karts at the age of 4 at his local track called Hill Country Kart Club (HCKC)[14] located in New Braunfels, Texas. He was mentored and supported by Tommy Muth of Texas Karts.[15] Estep went on to win numerous club and Texas road racing championships before he started karting at a national level in 2011. In 2011 Estep finished sixth in the SKUSA[16] Pro Tour TaG Cadet series. The championship was won by Colton Herta and was competed by other young talents such as Patricio O'Ward and Sophia Flörsch.[17] In 2014 Estep joined Dallas Karting Complex (DKC)[18] to win the SKUSA Pro Tour S5 Shifter class aboard his Sodi Kart[19] chassis after sweeping both the SKUSA SpringNats and SummerNats and then wrapping up the SKUSA Pro-Tour title in Las Vegas at the SuperNats. The following year Estep raced in various Rotax Max Junior series with Koene USA[20] winning the inaugural Maxspeed US Open Rotax Junior Championship aboard his Tony Kart[21] chassis by sweeping Round 1 in Dallas, Round 2 in Grand Junction Colorado and securing the Title in Las Vegas.[22]
In 2016 the Texas kart racer made the transition to racing open wheel cars. The main focus was the Quebec-based Formula Tour 1600[23] and Super Series Championships.[24] The American competed in a Honda powered Spectrum 015H entered by Exclusive Autosport.[25] Estep clinched both Championships winning twelve out of seventeen races.[26] He also set 4 track records. He shattered the F1 Canadian Grand Prix F1600 track record by an amazing 1.4 seconds. He also holds the track record at North America's oldest street race Trois Rivieres or GP3R as well as track records at Mont Tremblant and Calabogie. Because of his championship in the Formula Tour F1600 series Estep qualified to compete at the 2016 Mazda Road to Indy Shootout. Alongside the Formula Tour F1600 Estep competed in only a select few races in the Ontario-based Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series where he finished third in the championship.[27] Estep also competed in the US in only two race weekends F1600 Championship Series events at Road Atlanta and Virginia International Raceway. Estep won the second race of the weekend at Virginia International Raceway.[28]
Estep made a one-off appearance in Redbull[29]Global RallyCross[30] with PMG Rallysport[31] replacing Parker Chase at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona. Estep received the last minute opportunity just days before the event only having 4 laps in a business parking lot to fit seat and test radio before leaving for Arizona. He had just received his drivers license. He had to teach himself how to drive in the dirt, E-Brake and jump a rally car off a dirt ramp 50' as he raced the car. He went on to lead the Final live on NBC Sports when his front suspension broke taking him out of the lead and the race.
In 2016 Estep also made the leap from Junior to Senior class in karting. He won in only his second start in the Florida Winter Tour in Round Two at Ocala Grand Prix. He competed against an international field including European World Champion Jordan Lennox-Lamb and Canadian Indy Car driver Zachary Claman DeMelo.
2017 - After receiving 22 offers at the end of 2016 to compete in various series including Porsche GT3 Cup, Lamborghini Super Trofeo,[32] USF2000,[33] Pro Mazda,[34] US F4,[35] Formula Atlantics,[36] Pirelli World Challenge,[37] IMSA Lites,[38] and F2000.[39] After a great deal of consideration Estep signed a contract with JDX Racing to run in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Series. Estep finished on podium 11 of 16 races with multiple wins placing 3rd in the Porsche Championship.
2018 - In 2018 Estep returned to the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series with JDX Racing. Hertz Global also continued their sponsorship along with a new sponsor Byers Porsche of Columbus Ohio. Estep ended the 2018 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge winning the Championship over close friend and competitor Roman DeAngelis
2019 - 2020 - During the difficult Covid era Estep participated in limited racing due to the shutdown. In 2020 he made a return to the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in his first drive in GTD driving for Black Swan Racing. The team finished 5th.
2021 - He ran at the 12 Hours of Sebring in GTD with Team Hardpoint EBM Racing pairing with Rob Ferriol and Earl Bamber. He also ran a partial season in TCR with CB Motorsports.
2022 - The start of 2022 Trenton won the Pro-Am class co-driving with Mark Kvamme at the Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi in an AF Corse Ferrari. It also was a return to a full season in Porsche Carrera Cup North America driving for MDK Motorsports. He ended the season in 4th place. Most notable at the end of the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup season he was chosen by Porsche Motorsport North America as a "Porsche Selected Driver" for the 2023 season.
2023 - Trenton will be running a limited schedule in IMSA in GTD Pro for MDK Motorsports and a full season in SRO Fanatec World GT Challenge with his co-driver Seth Lucas. The year started out at the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona where he placed 4th in GTD Pro driving with Mark Kvamme, Jan Magnussen and Jason Hart.
† Points only counted towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, and not the overall LMP3 Championship.
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References
↑ "About Me". Trenton Estep. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
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