Sprint car driver David Steele dies after crash at Florida track

Reporting from BRADENTON, Fla. —  Sprint car veteran David Steele has died during a race in Florida.

Desoto Speedway officials said in a Facebook post on Saturday night that track owners and staff were saddened by the crash. The statement says Steele was trying to win his 100th race in Florida.

A Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report says Steele was driving a sprint car when his vehicle’s left front wheel struck the right rear wheel of another car, causing Steele’s vehicle to go up in the air, spin 180 degrees and hit the retaining wall.

Medics attempted to treat him but he was pronounced dead. He was 42.

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne tweeted that Steele was “one of the best and such a good guy to hang out and have a beer with.”

Steele won USAC Silver Crown national titles in 2004 and 2005. He won 60 USAC-sanctioned races and on Saturday night was seeking his 100th victory on a Florida track.