E.A. Sports Today

Holmes geared up for ARCA debut

Munford driver takes career to next level, makes ARCA debut today in Nashville with lots of help

By Jason Katz
For East Alabama Sports Today

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Bret Holmes looks over his brand new blue and yellow Holmes II Excavation/Veterans Oil No. 23 car with a smile and from behind a familiar face appears.

Defending ARCA champion Grant Enfinger is serving as crew chief for Holmes this weekend as the Munford driver makes his ARCA Series debut in today’s Music City 200 at Fairgrounds Speedway.

“There are a lot of new faces around the team this week,” Holmes said. “We are so fortunate to have Grant and all the other guys from GMS out here helping us. This is something new and I am just excited to have this opportunity and hopefully we will find some success in our ARCA debut.”

Enfinger’s role as crew chief creates something almost out of a movie. The older wiser driver apprenticing and molding the younger driver as they make their way through the ranks as a team.
But this dynamic only adds to the excitement and draw that Holmes reflects.

Growing up only minutes from Talladega Superspeedway, racing has been in his blood since Day One. He cut his teeth at the Talladega Short Track and ironically will return to the Superspeedway in a few weeks for somewhat of a “homecoming” as he races in the ARCA Series on the monster track.

“This is a long way from running dirt cars down at the Short Track,” Homes said. “The amount of time and effort that goes into what we do now is almost night and day from those days, but I will never forget my roots in the dirt. That is what made me the racer I am today.”

It is indeed a long way from Holmes’ dominant past while running Dirt Late Model, but that was never the end game — it was just the beginning.

As Holmes and his team prepare for yet another new chapter in their young career, they stay hungry and humble.

“We know we are new to this series, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t coming in with high expectations,” Holmes said. “We have good people and good equipment for this race and it’s a big deal to me and the team. We will give it our best shot and hopefully we will be all smiles by the end of Saturday night.”

Maybe the Music City will set a high tone for Holmes this weekend.

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