January 31, 2004 "Emotional" Pete Orr Memorial Race on Tap for Kittleson This Weekend By Jeremy Troiano- 51 Sports Short Track Standout Lost His Friend and Former Crew Chief in November 2002 CONCORD, NC (January 31, 2004) - There are a lot of races in which rising young racer Travis Kittleson takes part in each and every year, but none may be more important or mean nearly as much as the very first one of the season. That race, the Pete Orr Memorial Orange Blossom 125, pays tribute to Kittleson's long-time friend and one-time crew chief. Orr, one of the best Short Track racers to ever wheel a car in the Southeast, died of cancer in November of 2002. The second-annual Pete Orr Memorial 125 is set for this Saturday, January 31, at New Smyrna Speedway and Kittleson is approaching this race with a lot of emotion. "There isn't a race that will mean as much to me all year long as this one," said Kittleson, who got the chance to race Orr on many occasions before his passing. "Pete was such a great friend, but he was even a better human being. He really helped shape my racing career through his advice and just by watching and learning from him on the track. When Pete passed away a couple of years ago, we all lost someone very special. It is such a great thing to have a race in his honor. This was one of the races that Pete was synonymous with. He won it a lot of times (four); more than anyone else. I want nothing more than to win this race in his honor." Orr amassed more than 300 victories in his career. He was the only four-time winner of the Orange Blossom 100. He was also a two-time winner of the prestigious Governor's Cup race and a three-time champion of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Championship held during Florida "Speedweeks" every February. In Pete's last victory in the Orange Blossom 100, which came in January of 2000, Travis finished a close third to his idol. "Pete was the guy that we all looked up to in Florida," added Kittleson, who competed full-time with the American Speed Association in 2003. "If you raced Late Models in Florida or anywhere in the Southeast, you wanted to be like Pete. He was the epitome of a racecar driver. It was neat to beat him although that only happened once for me. He could always separate himself from what he was teaching me at that point on my career." The 2003 running of the race was renamed the Pete Orr Memorial. Kittleson took part in the race, running Pete's famous #30 (the same number Travis also runs with ASA, unlike his usual #88) and finished fourth. It wasn't a bad day for Kittleson, but disappointing none the least. "Everyone wanted to win that race last year because it was to honor our friend, but I think I wanted it even more. The Space Shuttle had its tragic accident on the same day as the race (Feb. 1), so the mood was quite somber. That just drove everyone to race even harder. We came up just a little bit short, but you can bet we are going to try our hardest to not come up short this year. I want this win so bad I can almost taste it. I want to honor my good friend by winning the race that his named after him." Kittleson and his R/T Racing/Bob Steele Chevrolet team are also planning to run the entire ASA schedule again in 2004 after a ninth-place finishing position in the ASA final national standings of 2003. However, they are still looking for sponsorship to help them in their quest for the 2004 ASA National Championship. For inquiries, call the team at 321-693-6700 and be sure to visit traviskittleson.com for more information. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!