By Jack Smith
This was the fourth year since the passing of legendary short track racer Pete Orr, an occasion marked by the Annual Pete Orr Memorial 100 at New Smyrna Speedway. The race is of course a super late model race in honor of Pete, who was one of Florida’s most popular race car drivers, especially among his peers.
Bobby Sears with members of Pete Orr Family
At the driver introduction and pre-race festivities, KARNAC.com annually presents the Pete Orr Sportsmanship Award each year, to a driver or racing personality who has exhibited outstanding sportsmanship, has the character of a gentleman, and who represents the sport of stock car racing in a highly positive light. These are traits that marked the late Pete Orr; all racers who knew him would be proud to say he was your friend.
This year the award went to a man who “gets more done with less than anybody I know”, according to someone who should know, namely FASCAR General Manager Don Nerone. A man that David Rogers, a short track star of long duration, called “one of the finest gentleman ” he has ever met in racing.
Bobby Sears started in this tough and sometimes crazy sports over 25 years ago. In his first race long ago at Volusia Speedway years ago Sears found himself upside down in the dirt. I has been an uphill battle ever since, though it has been a winning battle, and few can boast of the success of Bobby Sears.
Boasting however is not something Bobby Sears does much of. Though he won 15 Mini Stock titles, and after being forced out of the mini stocks for the sake of the other drivers, and then winning 5 titles in five years racing late models, you will never meet a more unassuming racer. “I don’t really know much about anything but cars, that’s all I’ve done all my life”, Sears says, more with pride than regret. “We are still learning everyday, even today”, Bobby explained, pointing out the reason for his immense success was preparation and persistence.
These days Bobby Sears is the car owner, and yes he maintains them still, for the highly successful young racer Rich Clouser. Clouser and Sears have won the Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series the last two years, no easy feat considering the talent, and talent with real money, that the series sports. Sears is still getting it done with grit, determination and less bankroll than most.
We sat down with Bobby Sears recently and talked in in depth with him about his fascinating career, his methods to winning and what winning the Pete Orr Sportsmanship Award meant to him.
I must say, having interviewed over a thousand racers over the past 10 years, we found Bobby Sears to be one of the most interesting, and revealing interviews we have had the pleasure of being a party to.
He, at least from our vantage, defines what a champion is, and wears the title with a style and class that every youngster coming up, and their parents and handlers could certainly learn from.
Here is the interview, it is one hour in length with only two brief commercial interruptions:
[audio:http://www.karnacmedia.com/audiointerviews2007/IFR/BobbySears022307final.mp3]
Let us know how you like it.
Bobby Sears will be a special guest on Real Racin’ USA this Tuesday night 7-9 PM, along with Don Radebaugh (PR/Media Director ARCA), along with drivers from the ASA, Lucas Oil Late Models and World of Outlaws, and other up to the minute news worthy guests from around the US of A.
