"USAC Veteran" Dave Steele Born - May 7, 1974

May 7, 1974 - March 25, 2017

Dave Steele

(Photo;Autoweek)

Born in Tampa, Florida, USA.

He won numerous sprint car racing championships and also competed in IndyCar and NASCAR races. Steele last drove a Winged Sprint Car on Florida's premier asphalt circuit, The Southern Shootout Sprint Car Series, where he won the first 5 races in series history.

He competed in several USAC sprint and Silver Crown races. He won the 2001 and 2003 Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race. He won the USAC Silver Crown Series in 2004 and 2005.

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.

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.

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).

Steele was killed in a crash at Desoto Speedway in Bradenton, Florida on March 25, 2017. He was 42. Steele was racing in the Southern Shootout Sprint Car Shootout Series when he crashed while trying to lap slower cars on the 3/8th-mile asphalt track, according to SpeedSport.com. Desoto Speedway released a statement saying "Desoto Speedway owners and staff are saddened by tonight's passing of David Steele in the Sprint Car feature. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends who were all in attendance, to see him try to win his 100th Florida race."