STUART, VA :: Coming off a strong performance in the season opening race at Ace Speedway, Devin Steele is looking to keep his 2014 momentum going by attempting a difficult doubleheader weekend. Steele and team will return to Ace on Friday, April 25, then follow that up with a Sunday trip to Callaway, Va. to take on the historic banks of Franklin County Speedway.
The small family-oriented team is brimming with confidence following the April 11 outing at Ace, which was highlighted by a car that got progressively better over the course of the afternoon practice sessions. That culminated in a nearly flawless qualifying lap that bested the 18-car field. Shuffled to 7th by the redraw, Steele overcame worsening handling issues to bring the car home in 9th position.
“We learned a lot about the car and were excited to hit on something with the setup for qualifying. It always feels good to be fast, and that lap felt awesome,” says Steele, the 21-year-old wheelman from Stuart, Va.
Even while celebrating the quick success in his transition to late models, Steele is focused on improving long-run speed for this Friday’s Superior Trailer Spring Fling 195 at Ace Speedway. After two weeks to debrief, diagnose, and make changes to the car, Steele hopes to harness the same pole-winning speed over the course of the entire race.
“A lot of teams can have a fast car for a few laps. The best teams are fast when it counts. That’s our goal for Ace. We know that we have the speed, so I’m looking forward to tweaking on the car to get it right for the long runs,” Steele says.
If everything goes well at Ace on Friday night, Steele and car owner Ronnie Steele hope to have the #17 late model prepped and loaded for a trip to Franklin County Speedway on Sunday for the Industrial Floor Systems Spring Sizzler.
The track, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has undergone a revival of sorts in the past year, with major investment by new management bringing in larger car counts and improved competition. The weathered surface and sharp, banked corners will be a good test of Devin and team’s adaptability as they navigate the venerable oval for the first time.
Attempting a doubleheader race weekend is no easy feat for even the most well-funded team, but the quick turnaround will be worth it as Steele tries to gain experience on a variety of tracks. Support from sponsors like Noonies Grill and Friendly’s Convenience Store in Stuart, Va, is essential to making these races possible. Opportunities to partner with Devin Steele Racing are still available.
To learn more about Devin Steele and his team, visit devinsteeleracing.com and follow him on Twitter @DSteele_86.
