KARNAC MEDIA RELEASE
Every year at this time KARNAC.com presents the Pete Orr Sportsmanship Award, usually at the Pete Orr Memorial at New Smyrna Speedway. This year the award will not be presented at that time, but will be presented later in the year. We expect to announce the time and place of the Pete Orr Sportmanship Award presentation in April.
This award has become one of the more special tributes given to Florida racers in recent years. Jay Middleton, Lee Collins, Brian Finney, Bobby Sears, Tim Russell and Chad Pierce have received the award. The first presentation of this very special award was in 2004, following the tragic loss of one of Florida’s finest racers and perhaps its best ambassador.
Bobby Sears, the 2007 recipient, was asked a year ago what winning this award meant to him. He said it was among the most memorable of all his racing achievements. Bobby keeps his beautiful Italian silver and mahogany cup on his TV so he can see it all the time.
For more about the life of Pete Orr and what he meant to stock car racing use this link in our History section.
The Inside Florida Racing Driver of the Year, sponsored by Hilderbrand Jewelers, will be presented later in February. The Driver of Year will receive a stunning Championship gold and diamond ring valued at over $3000.00. Last year dirt late model ace Johnny “The Locomotive” Collins from Jacksonville, Florida earned the award.
Real Racin’ USA and KARNAC.com will also present the Promoter of the Year Award to Florida’s top race promoter in March. Last year Mike Peters and Angie Clifton, owners of Ocala Speedway, earned the award for their efforts in the tremendous turnaround at that race track.
Ocala Speedway is featured in the February edition of Dirt Late Model Magazine. The article, “Ocala Speedway Returns to Its Roots” details the amazing transition of the central Florida short track, and goes behind the scenes laying out the heavy lifting that was required of Mike and Angie in this venture. It is truly a short track success story.
Copies of Dirt Late Model Magazine are are available at Florida’s dirt tracks during the winter racing and also can be obtained through the magazine’s web site.
As the 2010 racing season gears up in Florida, we want to again thank all the promoters, great fans and especially the drivers who contribute to making short track stock car racing a great way to spend a Friday or Saturday night throughout the year.