Gordon praises Creed and Steele’s talent and ability to move up the ranks

In both races this past weekend at the Honda Indy Toronto, 16-year-olds Sheldon Creed and Scotty Steele proved why they are a pair of the most talented drivers coming up through the racing ranks at this time. Both drivers battled for podium finishes in the wet conditions on Saturday, followed by another battle on Sunday in the dry conditions.

On Saturday, Creed and Steele battled for the lead for the first eight laps of the race before Creed was able to grab the victory while Steele finished third after getting into the tire barrier a little on the last lap. Then on the Sunday, Creed would trade the lead back and forth with Robby Gordon throughout the second half of the race, with Creed grabbing the advantage for his second straight victory.

“I went for it there and had a couple good opportunities, leaned on him really good there a little bit and he came back and got into my door and knocked me right out of the way,” Gordon spoke of his battle with Creed. “It was good.”

Meanwhile, Steele got some front end damage following lap one contact, resulting in not being able to see that well till his hood flew off at lap seven. He still battled hard, though, coming home with another solid third place finish.

Following the pair of races, Robby Gordon spoke of the talent level of both teens, saying that they’re really talented for just being 16-years-old.

“It reminds me a lot of myself at a young age, and I’d say these guys can drive racecars anywhere,” Gordon commented. “So watch for Scotty Steele and Sheldon Creed coming up through the ranks because I’d put these guys in anything, against anybody.”

While Creed has expressed interest in going up the NASCAR ranks, Steele is set for a different approach in going the open-wheel route. Without a doubt, they both should have the ability to do so from the simple ability that racing off-road and in the trucks helps in the driver’s ability behind the wheel.

“There’s a lot of guys that come through trophy trucks and it’s a pure breeding ground for motorsports, and off-road is a good breeding ground for motorsports because it teaches you car control,” Gordon explained. “The difference is if the car gets sideways, these guys know what to do to save it. Look at the drivers that have come through off-road racing. There’s (six-time Sprint Cup Series Champion) Jimmie Johnson, (Past Coca Cola 600 winner) Casey Mears, myself, and then you look at the other side with sprint cars. These are the guys that have car control and can wheel any car that’s out there.”

In both events, whether wet or dry, fans noticed how much the trucks slid sideways through the corners, and how each of the drivers were able to maintain control and keep peddling forward. It’s all the design of the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road presented by TRAXXAS 600-horsepower trucks as Gordon says they have “about 60 degrees steering angle on the inside tire”, which helps in getting them sideways. There’s also the factor that they don’t mind contact, presenting close racing to increase the teaching.

“You can slide job guys and lean on them – that’s all good – but front bumper to the back bumper is not encouraged,” Gordon expressed. “We really encourage the side-by-side and we’ve been doing this for about two years now on street circuits and haven’t had any issues. The trucks run about 150 mph down the backstraightaway and through the corners, they’re a handful. They’re very hard to drive, and that’s exactly what I designed them like I did to teach those that drive it car control. I could make them where they don’t three-wheel, but then they’re boring and looking like everything else in racing.”

So far, the product is paying off as fans who are witnessing the action that they put on, whether live, on television or through the online stream, are being thrilled by what they’re seeng, whether from the veterans of the series, or the young stars.

About the Author

Ashley McCubbin

Joining OnPitRoad.com mid-2013 season, Ashley McCubbin is now the Managing Editor and contributes to each racing division as needed. Since studying journalism at the University of Guelph-Humber, Ashley has published articles on a couple of different websites, while serving as a public relations representative for different short track teams. Born in North York, Ontario, Ashley currently lives in Bradford, Ontario and spends her weekend at the local short tracks in the area. She has spent her entire life at the short track level, falling in love with the sport at the age of five. Beyond her love of short track racing, she also has grown an interest for both NASCAR and the IndyCar Racing Series. She also enjoys taking photos and working on websites, while playing a couple rounds of Candy Crush afterwards.

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