David Steele
Steele in 2003
Born(1974-05-07)May 7, 1974
Tampa, Florida
DiedMarch 25, 2017(2017-03-25) (aged 42)
Bradenton, Florida
Cause of deathRacecar crash
Occupation(s)Racecar driver, Business Owner
AwardsUSAC Silver Crown Champion, 2004 and 2005
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, 2018[1]
United States Auto Club Hall of Fame, 2019[1]

David MacFarland Steele (May 7, 1974 – March 25, 2017)[2] was an American professional racing driver who won numerous sprint car racing championships and also competed in IndyCar and NASCAR races. Steele last drove a winged sprint car in the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series, where he won the first 5 races in series history. Steele was killed in a crash at Desoto Speedway on March 25, 2017.[3]

He was posthumously inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame on the first eligible ballot in 2018.

Racing career

Sprint Cars, Midgets, and Silver Crown

Championships

Steele won three Tampa Bay Area Racing Association (TBARA) championships.[1]

He claimed 60 wins in USAC sprint car (26), midget (18), and Silver Crown (16) races between 1996 and 2007.[4][1]

He claimed the USAC Silver Crown Series championship in 2004 and 2005, putting him in the company of drivers such as Mario Andretti, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart.[5]

Race Wins

He won the 2001 and 2003 Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race.[6][7] Other notable Turkey Night winners include A. J. Foyt, Tony Stewart, and Billy Boat.

He was also a two-time winner of the Little 500,[1] held annually at Anderson Speedway. Throughout his sixteen starts in that race, he was a five-time pole-sitter and finished in the top 5 ten times.

Steele won the Copper Classic at Phoenix International Raceway eight times. He won the Silver Crown portion 5 times and Midget race 3 times.[1] In 1998, he won the Night Before the 500 race.[1]

IndyCar and NASCAR

Steele attempted to make his Indy Racing League IndyCar Series debut in 1996 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for ABF Motorsports but failed to qualify. He made his first start in 1998 at Phoenix International Raceway, the second race of the season, driving for RSM Marko, then drove in the final two races of the year for Panther Racing. He failed to finish all three races. He was entered in a Panther car for the 1999 Indianapolis 500 but crashed in practice.[8]

Steele drove in the first two races of the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series for Felix Sabates. After finishes of 23rd and 34th he failed to qualify for the next three races and Steele and the team parted ways.[9]

Steele also competed in four ARCA Racing Series races in 1999 and 2000 and two Infiniti Pro Series races (one each in 2002 and 2003). In 2002, Steele raced for Bowes Seal Fast Racing at Michigan finishing eighth in the Infiniti Pro Series.

Death

Steele was killed in a racing accident during a Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series race at Desoto Speedway in Bradenton, Florida, on March 25, 2017. His car's front wheel struck and overrode the rear wheel of another car during the event, sending him into the wall; he was pronounced dead at the scene.[10]

Honors

Motorsports career results

American open–wheel racing results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Indy Racing League

Indy Racing League results
Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rank Pts Ref
1996-97 ABF Motorsports Lola 96 Buick NHA LVS
DNQ 		WDW PHX INDY TXS PPIR CLT NHA2 LSV2 NC 0 [11]
1998 RSM Marko Riley & Scott 22 Oldsmobile WDW PHX
22 		INDY TXS NHA DOV CLT PPIR ATL 36th 17 [12]
Panther Racing 43 TXS
24 		LVS
27
1999 G-Force WDW PHX INDY
DNQ 		TXS PPIR ATL DOV PPIR LVS TXS NC 0 [13]

Indianapolis 500

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team Ref
1999 G-Force Oldsmobile DNQ Panther Racing [13]

Indy Pro Series

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points
2002 Bowes Seal Fast Racing KAN NSH MIS
8 		KTY STL CHI TXS 19th 24
2003 Brian Stewart Racing HMS PHX INDY PPIR KAN NSH
11 		MIS STL KTY CHI FON TXS 25th 19

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 NBSC Pts Ref
1999 Team SABCO 82 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR TEX NSV BRI TAL CAL NHA RCH NZH CLT DOV SBO GLN MLW MYB PPR GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO
DNQ 		HOM NA - [14]
2000 DAY
23 		CAR
34 		LVS
DNQ 		ATL
DNQ 		DAR
DNQ 		BRI TEX NSV TAL CAL RCH NHA CLT DOV SBO MYB GLN MLW NZH PPR GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO HOM 88th 155 [15]

ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ABMSC Pts Ref
1999 Team SABCO 01 Chevy DAY ATL SLM AND CLT MCH POC TOL SBS BLN POC KIL FRS FLM ISF WIN DSF SLM CLT
16 		TAL
11 		68th 355 [16]
02 ATL
40
2000 01 DAY
11 		SLM AND CLT KIL FRS MCH POC TOL KEN BLN POC WIN ISF KEN DSF SLM CLT TAL ATL 98th 175 [17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "2020 Carb Classic". USAC Silver Crown. August 21, 2020. Event occurs at 20:46:44. FloRacing.
  2. ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Dave Steele". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  3. ^ "David Steele Killed In Sprint Car Crash". Speed Sport. March 25, 2017. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  4. ^ Dave Steele Ready for Orlando Archived June 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Motorsport.com, January 18, 1999, Retrieved December 30, 2011
  5. ^ Hoffman Racing names Steele, Coons for 2007 Archived June 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Motorsport.com, December 19, 2007, Retrieved December 30, 2011
  6. ^ Solorzano, Tony. Steele Puts a Stop to Kahne's Plan; Auto racing: Upset victory in Turkey Night Grand Prix prevents last year's runner-up from following in Stewart's footsteps at Irwindale Speedway. Archived March 9, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Times, November 23, 2001, Retrieved December 30, 2011
  7. ^ Paternie, Patrick C. FAST CAT IN THE HAT; Dave Steele wins the 2003 Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix, AutoWeek, December 8, 2003, Retrieved 2011-12-30[dead link]
  8. ^ David Steele, Champ Car Stats, Retrieved December 30, 2011
  9. ^ Dave Steele, Racing Reference, Retrieved December 30, 2011
  10. ^ Ayello, Jim (March 26, 2017). "Sprint car driver David Steele killed in Florida speedway crash". Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on March 26, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  11. ^ "Dave Steele – 1997 Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "Dave Steele – 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Dave Steele – 1999 Pep Boys Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  14. ^ "Dave Steele – 1999 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  15. ^ "Dave Steele – 2000 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  16. ^ "Dave Steele – 1999 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  17. ^ "Dave Steele – 2000 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 6, 2017.

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