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Devin Steele had only scored one career victory prior to the start of the 2016 season, but he has hit his stride this season at Franklin County Speedway.

Steele, 23, from Stuart, Virginia, has won every single Late Model Stock Car race held at Franklin County Speedway so far in 2016 and he has no plans of slowing down.  His victory in the season opener at the 3/8-mile bullring in Virginia was only his second career win but it was also a statement making victory.

“I knew we would have a really good piece this year,” Steele told Short Track Scene.  “Didn’t know who would be running with us but I knew we had a good shot at winning every race we came to.  I knew our chances were pretty good.”

Steele, who now has four wins, has scored all of his Late Model Stock Car victories at Franklin County.  He feels the track fits him because it’s a driver’s track that has multiple grooves for racing.

“It’s a driver’s track,” Steele remarked.  “You can move up and down, search around, find different lines, find different ways to save your stuff more than the next guy I guess.  Everything depends on where the car works best.  You can play around different limes and see where the car works the best at Franklin County.”

Steele’s first win at Franklin County came in 2014 in spectacular fashion.  Three-time Franklin County Speedway track champion Kyle Dudley wrecked off the front bumper of Brian Sutphin, allowing Bobby Gillespie to get the lead.  Gillespie suffered major damage in the incident in spite of getting the lead and surrendered the lead moments later to Steele who went on to score the victory.

Since then, Steele had been shut out of victory lane – until April 19th when he snapped a near two year winless drought and began his hot streak.

“We’ve been making the car better and better,” Steele commented.  “We found a lot over the winter.  I knew once we got the bugs worked out, we’d be a contender in every race we go to.”

With three consecutive wins under his belt, Franklin County Speedway promoter Langley Austin is likely to place a bounty on Steele, which could attract regional heavy hitters such as Dennis Holdren and Kelly Kingery.  Steele said he would welcome the bounty and any additional competition it may bring.

“It doesn’t really add any more pressure,” Steele explained.  “As good of a car as we have, I’m excited about bringing new guys in and seeing where we stack up against guys from Motor Mile.  As far as being worried, we’re more excited than anything.”

Steele got his start racing Go-Karts when he was five years old and continued racing them until he turned 17.  After that, he raced Modifieds for a few years at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, North Carolina before making the move to Late Model Stock Cars.

Now a contender in Late Model Stock Car racing, Steele’s just looking to win races and isn’t thinking about points in spite of being in command of the Franklin County championship race.

“Not really sure what our race schedule holds.  I wouldn’t say we’re running for a championship.  We’re racing to have fun right now and as long as we’re having fun, we’ll keep on racing.”

Marquis comes from St. Charles, Maryland and has a widespread background in journalism, having covered politics in Washington and Maryland as well as nearly every form of auto racing, including NASCAR, IndyCar, AMA Motocross and IHRA Drag Racing. Now living near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, Marquis covers Late Model Stock Cars and Super Late Models in the Carolinas and Virginia.

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