Former ARCA and CRA Super Series car owner and sponsor Harold Steele passed away last week after a battle with cancer. He was 67. Steele started HS Die in his garage in 1969 and expanded the business to employ 300 people. He owned the ARCA championship winning team that his son Tim Steele drove to the 1993, 1996 and 1997 titles. Tim Steele won 41 ARCA races in the HS Die cars. Currently, Harold Steele’s granddaughter Kelsey races the HS #16 Super Late Model in a limited schedule of CRA Super Series events.
And… Modified pioneer Gene Bergin has passed away. The Connecticut driver raced for nearly three decades and was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998. Bergin was a track champion at Stafford Motor Speedway (CT) and the now-closed Riverside Park Speedway (MA). Bergin was best known for the driving the #2x Modified owned by Bob Judkins and the #M-6 owned by Bebe Zalinski. He also made two career starts in what is now the NASCAR Cup Series, back in the 1956 season at Darlington and Langhorne.
Glad I got to meet Gene at the Modified Reunion a couple of years back. Class act guy, very personable.
;-(
i am so sad to hear about Gene. he hasnt been happy since he lost his beloved wife “Lucy”, and his health has been failing for some time. will miss Gene but glad he has found his peace at last. RIP Gene. you will be missed. just talked to bugsy. he said gene has been in a coma for a long time. also heard Billy Shultz died. not sure when…couldnt have been too long ago. jeeez louise. this is getting scary. these guys are younger than me! (just a tad)…
carolwicks aka oz
thank you Dave…