Racer steals the show to beat 15 others on the track
A local speedway racer has impressed on home turf, winning the WA Modified Sedan title during the WA Day long weekend.
Jeff Steele triumphed on the Broome Speedway track, beating 15 other racers, including local rival Mick Johnston, to take home the WA Modified Sedan title after the three-day tournament.
Steele said he had a lot of confidence in the lead-up to the tournament. “My Ford Falcon was the best it’s been, absolutely spot-on all weekend — it was just up to me really,” he said.
“I also had a win on the track two weeks before as well, so that was a real confidence-booster going into the tournament.”
Steele said it was a relief to win the title after a less-than-ideal run when the WA Modified Sedan Title was in Broome back in 2011.
“I qualified in 11th place but then had a (did not finish) due to a mechanical failure,” he said.
“Then my rival Mick Johnston won it, so I really wanted to get him back next time.
“So it’s very exciting to win on home soil in front of my friends and family.”
This time around, Steele was on top of the leaderboard after night one and led from start to finish.
Steele’s journey into modified sedan racing began when he started going to speedway races at the age of 12, eventually starting his racing career at 17.
But it wasn’t until 2001 he found his niche in modified sedans, mainly racing around Broome, Karratha and Derby.
Steele’s previous achievements include his first WA title in 2002 in Shark Bay, running the 2014 National Title in Albany, and finishing second in the past two Broome Speedway Club Championships and Shinju Matsuri Championships.
Steele said he planned to continue competing locally and get a few more wins under his belt.
“Next season I hope to go down south and do some rounds in the WA Modified Sedan Series,” he said.
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