Dave Steele

Nine Racing Driver 1997–1999, 2006–2008

With countless wins under his belt, just the name “Dave Steele” is synonymous with victory. The #91 Nine Racing champion started racing karts around age six, and sprint cars and midgets when he turned 16. He initially drove for his parents, who owned race cars. Growing up watching racers like Dave Scarborough, Jim Childers, and Frank Riddle, Dave looked up to the local drivers around his hometown in Tampa, Florida.

He joined Nine Racing part time in 1997 and just one year later won the highly esteemed “Night Before the 500” USAC National Midget Series event at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Dave continued to drive for Nine Racing through 1999, and made a splash when he returned in 2006, winning four USAC National Midget Series events in that year alone.

When Dave wins, he wins big. Perhaps most notably, driving the Toyota-powered #91 car, he gave Toyota its first win in USAC National Midget Racing with a victory at the Ed Pink-prepared engine’s debut race at one-mile Phoenix International Raceway in 2006. He’s won Copper World Classic two years in a row (2006–2007) at PIR. The 2007 race seemed to come easy for Dave, as he dashed to the front and held off the field for several restarts late in the race.

Dave made history in 2002 when he won the inaugural Twin 25’s race at Indianapolis Raceway Park —a $50,000 bonus was offered to the driver who won both of the night’s 25-lap feature races. The challenge was that the winner of the first 25-lap feature race had to start dead last in the second 25-lap feature race. Dave passed all of his 24 competitors in the second race to take the grand prize.

It’s no surprise that PIR—which Dave regards as unique, with each end of the track different—is one of the champion’s favorite tracks. Time and time again, he manages to capture the win there with USAC midget and USAC Silver Crown events.

Dave currently drives the #91 car for select events. He recently started a speed shop at the end of 2007 in Tampa, and between racing and the shop, he keeps very busy.