Another racing death doesn't diminish young driver's passion

The death of open-wheel racing legend David Steele, affectionately called “Superman” by fans and friends alike, at DeSoto Speedway on March 25 has left the auto world shaken.

Everyone from NASCAR’s Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson to popular Florida sprint car racer Ben Fritz posted condolences on social media.

Steele was a lifer who started racing at a young age. When I heard of the crash, I thought back to a column I wrote a few months into my job at the Observer, on Conner Dutting-Morrell. Dutting-Morrell, 12, races in the 600 Sprint Car Series.

His car is open-wheeled, just like Steele’s. My lead in that column painted the picture of a crash at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Miss. It was Dutting-Morrell’s first 600 Sprint Car Series race, and he had flipped his car. Dutting-Morrell’s father, Allen Morrell, had described to me his son’s car as rag-dolling through the air as his younger son, Trevor Dutting-Morell, also a racer, screamed.

I have not been able to get that vision out of my head. “What if Dutting-Morrell had not been so lucky?” I keep thinking to myself. It so easily could have ended another way, even if the speeds are much lower.

I decided to call the family and get their thoughts on the risks of auto racing.

Allen Morrell, Conner's dad, started our conversation by adding perspective to Steele’s crash. He had never met Steele personally, but his racing team partner, Danny Sams Jr., had, and had ordered parts from Steele’s shop in Tampa to use on the team’s cars. Steele had been following the careers of Dutting-Morell and Sams Jr.’s son, Danny Sams III, as they are both rising stars in the sport.

Morrell and Sams Jr. had talked the day after the crash, to make sure they were both doing everything they could to ensure the safety of their sons. They decided that they were, having installed full containment seats and HANS (head and neck support) devices that in theory will protect drivers in the event of the crash. They are the top of the line in safety equipment, Morrell said.

I believe him. Still, I asked, doesn’t your stomach twist and turn while watching your son on the track?

“Oh God, every time,” Morrell said. “Every time he goes on the track. I can tell you, I am a 'nervous Nellie.' I'm worried, but he loves it. He does well at it, and I guess I just have to let him follow his dream, follow his passion, knowing that I'm giving him the safest ride I can and keeping him in the safest environment I can.”

I talked to Dutting-Morrell, too, and the young racer said he won’t think about the crash the next time he loads into his car. He mentioned the death of midget racer Bryan Clauson at a United States Auto Club race in Kansas last year. It’s a part of the sport. Accidents do happen, but you can’t worry about them, he said.

“I’ve never felt unsafe on the track,” Dutting-Morrell promised me.

He does not think anything will ever make him think twice about racing. He echoed his father’s notion, racing is his passion. There are risks, to be sure, but when weighed against doing what you love and following your talents, those risks are worth it, he said.

It’s a perspective I respect. If you’re in the sport for the long haul, one death probably is not going to make you re-think your career path, but I hope it does bring attention to the fact that even with all the top-end safety equipment out there, accidents can still happen.

Morrell did say that he would talk to his son about driving safer, and learning when to push the envelope.

“We realize that if you're in a situation where it's getting a little bit crazy, then back out,” he said. “It's not worth getting somebody hurt or wrecking a car. It's just not worth it. Back out and go get them clean when you can get it going a little bit easier, don't force the issue. You have to be cognizant of the environment around you and where everybody else is.”

The risks aren’t going away, but they can be minimized. As the promising young racer continues his career, I can only hope that he, and all other racers out there, take as many precautions as possible. My thoughts and prayers will be with them all.