(6/8/24 – By Michael Gilmer) … On September 15, 2022, during a hot lap session at Keller Auto Speedway, the cockpit of the black and blue number 121 sprint car suddenly erupted in a fireball while powering down the back straightaway. In a blink of an eye, Caeden Steele’s drivers compartment was engulfed in flames. Pure instinct kicked in at that point as he managed to stop the car in the third turn, unhook his belts, and frantically bail out of the car, landing on his back. Everything seemed fine for a split-second until his flailing legs revealed he was still on fire. He popped up and frantically jumped about, waving his arms, attempting to smother the fire. Fortunately, with the help of quick-thinking driver DJ Netto, who saw what had happened and stopped his own car to help, and the track safety team, the flames were finally extinguished as Steele lay crumpled on the ground.
It turned out to be the longest heart-pounding 30-seconds of Caeden Steele’s life. A broken fuel line was the culprit.
The 18-year-old Fresno, California driver opened up about his injuries and spoke from the heart about how difficult it was to come back to race again. Steele was extremely disappointed because his 2022 season was abruptly halted as he recovered from his injuries.
“I had deep second degree burns on most of my legs, luckily only up to mid-thigh,” explained Steele, who was wearing a fire-resistant drivers suit. “The accident put me out for the rest of the season which sucked. I had felt like up to that point it was the best first year of sprint car racing that I could have asked for.”
Steele believed he was showing improvement at every race. Unfortunately, he was not only stripped of the ability to compete the rest of the season, but also lost his momentum and the ability to earn valuable experience on new tracks. Being shut down was not easy and he was eager to recover and get back into a sprint car again. Now that the healing process is behind him, it’s almost like he didn’t skip a beat.
Steele is extremely energized to be racing a 410 with the NARC Sprint Car Series this season. His team signed up to compete against the best drivers and teams on the West Coast, which has pushed them to bring their A-game. He has maximized that opportunity with some eye-opening performances. In just six NARC events, he has posted three top 10’s, including a pair of impressive third place finishes.
“I feel like I can focus on what the car is doing and how it is reacting more,” he continued. “It is still something I am learning and adjusting to.”
This is Steele’s rookie year with NARC, and he is currently leading the points chase for the rookie-of-the-year award, over a stout field of new candidates. Is there anything he is doing specifically to try to earn the award?
“It is still early in the season, but to try and win rookie of the year I came into this season with a different mindset,” he answered. “I’m trying to stay calm and really focus on finishing each race, even if it means losing a few spots. Last year I came into every race with a ‘win it or wear it’ mindset.”
Steele has worked on his mental game and looks to finish strong at every event. Being able to comfortably achieve this state of mind is not easy because many drivers frequently adopt the Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, your last” philosophy. And although it works for a few, most do not succeed.
Having a solid frame of mind is important, especially since he will be racing eight times in 11 days during a stretch that includes the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports and the $62,000 to win Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway. That stretch of shows kicks off on June 12th at Southern Oregon Speedway.
“This will be the first time I have raced that much back-to-back.” Steele said. “I am not sure how it will unfold, but I am confident that if I come mentally and physically prepared, we can run well and hopefully get our first NARC win.”
Confidence is key when it comes to winning and Steele is building a stockpile. He looks up to drivers like Kyle Larson from a winning standpoint and hopes to do what he does best — win. In addition to his recent NARC 410 success, Steele has experienced the thrill of victory with a pair of 360 sprint car wins at Ocean Speedway, and he likes the way it feels.
The 2022 accident now seems like an eternity ago, and most drivers would consider hanging up their helmet after such a traumatizing event. However, Caeden Steel considers it a hiccup on his fast-paced road to sprint car success.
ED NOTE: Michael Gilmer is an 18-year old guest columnist for NARC410.com.
