There’s going to be a Dave Steele Memorial sprint car race at Citrus County Speedway this Saturday night, and that got me thinking about all of the amazing wins i saw from him over the years. If you haven’t already, go to you tube and watch some of his in car videos.
Yes, he was an amazing talent. Funny thing; when you are next to someone in a sprint, the other driver usually has their elbows up, sawing the wheel, tires smoking, etc… Dave would blow past me and look like he was driving a pace lap; straight and smooth! 
July, 2011, was my first night in sprints and I happened to be parked right next to him. When worlds collide right? Mr. middle aged mini-stocker parked next to Dave Steele. I can tell you that I was very intimidated. Because he was on the quiet side, and was so successful, I mistakenly thought that he was stuck up or unpleasant, but I missed his personality by a mile. As time went by, I found him very helpful, quite knowledgeable and with an active sense of humor. He was not the type to stand up and tell big, loud jokes, but his funny comments, the nick-names and the good-natured ribbing helped to make him a very fun guy to hang around.
Of course he was intense when it was time to race. He would help you out all week, but when the green was out, he was focused on winning, no matter how many buddies he was racing against.
And that is what our sport is all about. Sometimes drivers would grumble about how much he won, but not me. The fact is he was a very clean driver, his stuff was legal, and through his effort and concentration, Dave raised the bar for all of us. We had to become better racers to compete with him. That is a noble legacy. How many of us have left our sport better?
I am looking forward to Saturday night at Citrus; my car is rolling in the trailer tonight. Yes, there will be plenty of reflection, and some fund-raising for his beautiful family, but I assure you that the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series will be there to mash the gas. Come on out!
There are some great racers in that series, i look forward to Saturday night. The various Palmdale Oil Company locations have certainly increased their methanol sales thanks to your group.