By Marty Little
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL. – With drivers in their cars and ready to begin the ninth running of the Pete Orr Memorial Orange Blossom 100 Saturday night at New Smyrna Speedway rain forced a halt to the action. An attempt was made to dry the track but a second downpour killed the evening and forced track officials to postpone the event until March 12.
A good field of 28 various type late models prepared to do battle on the lightning fast half-mile oval with Georgia invader Bubba Pollard setting quick time for the century run. It was Pollard’s first ever visit to the Florida East Coast facility but he was not intimidated one bit. Pollard drew a nine pill which put Justin Larson on the pole and Pollard in the nine slot for the start. The starting order will remain intact for the March 12 make up date.
The race honors the memory of the very popular Pete Orr, an Orlando area driver, who lost his life to cancer at age 46 in November 2002. Orr himself was a seven time winner of the Orange Blossom 100 event which moved to New Smyrna in 1989 from the defunct Palm Beach Fairgrounds Speedway where it began in the 1970s. Oddly enough it was at the tough highly banked half-mile Palm Beach facility where Orr achieved early success behind the wheel of a 1955 Chevrolet in the old Hobby division. Following Orr’s passing the Orange Blossom 100 took on Orr’s name beginning in 2003 and quickly became one of the “must win” events at the venerable Volusia County speedplant.