| Tony Stewart and Tony Eury Jr make lasting impression on Young Mini Cup Driver | By Mark Blair
It was two years ago that 10 year old Blake Orr and his family traveled up to Martinsville, VA to attend the NASCAR race. As fate would have it, Crew Chief Tony Eury Jr. was staying at the same hotel and talked with young Blake for about 30 minutes by the pool.
Tony was attentive and listened to Blake talk about his desire to become a racecar driver and by the end of the conversation, encouraged him to go after his dream and follow his heart.
Now, two years later, Blake Orr is living his dream, beginning his racing career as a Junior/Allstar driver in Florida Mini Cup Racing Series. Even at an early age Blake knew he wanted to race, following in his father’s footsteps. He says his dad is his biggest influence because he had raced dirt tracks when he was younger. That being said, he’s quick to add he’s a huge Tony Stewart fan and hopes to grow up just like him and be a NASCAR driver too.
Blake was born in Tennessee and lived outside of Knoxville before moving to Eustis, Florida. He’s a big Tennessee Volunteers fan and his favorite author is Joe Manno because he always says you can’t give up on your dreams.
He’s very thankful for such a supportive family, especially when they all pitch in to help work on his number 24 Chevy Monte Carlo. Dad is his Crew Chief, but Blake has learned quite a bit helping him wrench on the car. His primary sponsor so far this season is Applied Felts of Martinsville, VA. He’s very appreciative of their continued support for the 2005 racing season. Just before this year’s Pepsi 400, Blake got an opportunity to get his helmet autographed by his idol Tony Stewart.
After getting the helmet signed, he told Tony that he had something for him and presented him with an autographed picture of his Mini Cup Car. Tony, who had been a spokesman for Mini Cups Cars in the past, was really impressed and thanked Blake for the picture. Although he couldn’t talk with Blake much because of the number of fans he had to attend too, he did encourage Blake to continue racing and follow his dream.
Although many race fans have had the opportunity to have one on one contact with NASCAR greats, it wouldn’t be surprising if this charismatic 12 year old meets up with Tony again and this time spends more than a couple of minutes chatting. As his talent continues to grow, perhaps opportunity may knock for this young man from Tennessee.
Blake is racing with the Florida Mini Cup Racing Series, a traveling series with classes for both kids and adults. The Junior/Allstar Division, designed for kids age 8-15, have become very popular, and has grown rapidly since it started at the beginning of the 2005 season.
The car is a ½ scale stock car built just like the Nextel Cup cars you see on TV. They have tube chassis, adjustable suspension, coil-over Carrera shocks, disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, and they’re powered by a modified GX390 Honda engine. Florida Mini Cup Racing Series also has a FMCRA Driving Experience which provides great racing entertainment for corporations, birthdays, and for racing enthusiasts.
It's a great way to build teamwork, expand boundaries, and escape the world for a while. You can take the wheel for a race against your best friend, co-worker or boss; you may even have the opportunity to compete against some of the FMCRA All Pro Drivers.
For more information, visit the Website at WWW.FLORIDAMINICUP.COM.
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