Mike Steube returns!

[TSRF]

Slot racing demi-God Mike Steube, arguably the best of his generation and the inspiration for an entire generation of slot car racers, has re-surfaced.
Today, he spent two hours in our offices with Associated R/C cars former president, Gene Husting and yours truly, contemplating his surviving cars, old magazines where he was often portraited as a hero, and old pictures. Mike kindly and humbly told us his life story, and it was as much fascinating as it is sobering.

Soon I will post pictures of how the former USRA champion and one of the finest slot racers ever born looks today, and tell his story after his disappearance of nearly 35 years.

Dokk P

[grislightning]

This is great! I can't wait!

[Slapshot]

and tell his story after his disappearance of nearly 35 years.

Do you mean we have to wait till he disappers for another 35 years to hear the story and get some pictures?
DOh! Now I know what you meant....Duhh
Thanks Dok looking forward to your artical.
Raymond

[gary mayeda]

Dokk P

Make sure that you get contact info for Tore and me We would love to see mike again.


Gary

[TSRF]

Gary,
Apparently he likes it there in my shop, and has been returning to visit almost daily. He might actually participate in a slot car race in two weeks.

When he first showed up a week ago, he was sporting a small mustache. After his second visit, I gave him a picture of Bruce Paschal shaking his hand at the end of the 1970 Louisiana Grand Prix which he had just won over the best of the best. This is at this time, the ONLY piece of his past glory he owns. Everything else disappeared when he brutally and finally quit any involvement in slot car racing at the end of 1973.
He showed the picture to his current wife of nine years, and she said that he looked a lot better without the mustache. So today he showed up and had it shaved... and indeed he looks more like the Mike we remember.

There is immense personal tragedy in Mike's life at this moment: his brother, Billy Steube Jr., my former team mate, is dying of lymph cancer just like what happened to his dad in 1982, and at the same age. Billy was always Mike's older brother, his "protector" of sorts. Billy was always caring for Mike when at the raceway, making sure that nothing wrong would happen to him, like older brothers are supposed to do. Later, he became the foreman of the shop where they worked together for many years.
I believe that whatever we are doing now, Bryan, Tore, Ivan (Anderson) and myself, is immensely helping Mike to keep away from depression, and he seems very grateful for it.

I remember Mike as a tough adversary to me on the track, a very intense and focused competitor. As a team Checkpoint member, I rarely saw Mike at his father's shop, and had a more relaxed rapport with Billy Jr., who at times did almost anything on track to help his brother win another one.

Now we are realizing that we missed an opportunity for personal friendship, and we are going to make up for that.

A few years back, Mike made an attempt at a "come back" with the help of all-time good guy Gil Gunderson. But it did not work out because the atmosphere in the raceway in which Mike tried was apparently as described by Mike, not good. Things have changed now and Buena Park is a very family-oriented place with good people inside and out, so if Mike wants to play, he certainly will be more than welcome.

Dokk P

[endbelldrive]

...returns. This is good.

cheers,

Bob S.

[agt001]

Ok,, got to ask what the "S" stands for in the "Bob S". My first thought is original Team Boola member, Bob Stephan? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Bwaminispeed]

Bob S,think Japaneese.

[endbelldrive]

agt001, Yep...Japanese...Canadian..and not even remotely famous. Strike three!

cheers,

Bob S.

[S.O. Watt]

The LA. GP was 1970 .

Tell Mike I still remember teaming up with him on many occasions playing Fosball. We would take on all comers and after like 2 or 3 hours of kicking buttski, just flatout collaspe!

I remember seeing him and Bogut when they both showed up at a Western States race in the mid '80s. I think Gil won it.


(reunion, reunion, reuion, reunion, reunion!)

[TSRF]

The LA. GP was 1970 .

Silly me. Korrekted.

(reunion, reunion, reunion, reunion, reunion!)

Are you talking about that island in the Indian ocean or is this an offer to buy lunch for everyone?

[Charlie Nelson]

Sure would be nice to see Mike again.

[oldweirdherald]

Wow! You had me going there when I saw this thread showing up with a new post! I thought Mike Steube had returned once again!

But then I realized it was a 5 year old thread resurrected... However - since this thread originally posted, Mike did indeed get back into slot cars, and was very active in the D-3 Retro racing at Buena Park for some time. He jumped right back into building chassis and winning races for a year or two... but then unfortunately has retired once again. He truly is a great guy and a great slot racer, and it would be wonderful to see him get back involved in the hobby once again. Who knows, perhaps he'll get the bug again soon...

[Owl Chump]

Wow! You had me going there when I saw this thread showing up with a new post! I thought Mike Steube had returned once again!

But then I realized it was a 5 year old thread resurrected... However - since this thread originally posted, Mike did indeed get back into slot cars, and was very active in the D-3 Retro racing at Buena Park for some time. He jumped right back into building chassis and winning races for a year or two... but then unfortunately has retired once again. He truly is a great guy and a great slot racer, and it would be wonderful to see him get back involved in the hobby once again. Who knows, perhaps he'll get the bug again soon...

Hey Paul,

He has un-retired again and back racing at Buena Park!

[Monty@B.O.W.]

Paul,

Did you completely space out over the new poster who chanced upon this thread? Mike Steube returning -again and again- isn't really news. but Checkpoint Charlie Nelson! Wow.

FWIW, Charlie was probably the finest armature craftsman ever, as a teenager. He ended up on team Checkpoint 'cause Bill Sr. figured it was better to have him as an ally instead of the remarkable up and coming racer that he was. After waxing the whole SoCal crew at a WSC held on the most technical track in the LA area, he got the team ride.

Charlie is my own inspiration for the armatures I make today. He started his racing in the San Fernando Valley at the same raceways I frequented, most notably the North Hollywood venue of Revell Raceways, where he had earned the "Pro" box plate before I met him. That accolade actually meant you were no longer welcome to race there, as the races were always for lower rated drivers. It took me half a year to make "advanced". That equated to averaging 5th place over a ten week moving average of the weekly races.

Charlie, welcome back to the sport... and if I'm lucky, you remember the 12 year old version of me. Have you run into any of the old gang? I'm talking Ken Kessie, George Spratt, or Revell local Pro Jerry Cowan? I know the whereabouts of Alan Low, and the sport has some general info on Jack Garcia. I ran into Bruce Erickson's little sister in the mid 70's working at a Burbank optometrist. Don Aspensen is unfortunately deceased.

Many of the old SoCal pro racers run in the vintage classes at Buena Park Raceway. Not just Steube, but Cukras, Anderson, and Hines along with old names Tanaka and Zimmerman. Zip is the same loose cannon as he always was back in the day! LOL

Hope we hear more from you!