“Results-wise, the best night was at Skagit (Speedway in Alger, Wash.). We set quick time, won the heat race and the dash before finishing fourth in the feature. That was the best as far as winning everything up to the A main.”
The overall results during the remainder of the season were to be expected of a new partnership and a driver who was making his debut at more than a half dozen tracks while competing on the premier sprint car tour.
“I mainly wanted to make sure I could get up to speed for them,” Holmes said. “I knew there was going to be a stint where you’re going to see Eldora, Williams Grove and Port Royal — three of the toughest tracks. I’d never been to those places. It was nice that I was at Knoxville to take some of the intimidation out of it. Those are places you dream of running. I think it really helped we had that first successful weekend in Jackson.
“It’s been good. They’ve adapted well. I’m a different driver than (Jacob Allen) with different habits. Everyone has their own style. I think it’s been figuring out what I like and mixing it with their setups and how we can tune around that. That’s been the main thing. It all revolved around meshing and working well. Just as much as I was thrown into a situation they were, too, picking someone up 75 percent of the way through the year and going into some tough races. I give them a bunch of credit.”
Holmes said Jacob Allen has been involved in his development along with Logan Schuchart, who pilots the other Shark Racing sprint car.
“They are one big team,” Holmes noted. “Logan has been great to bounce things off. I’d say we run as two separate operations how things go throughout the night, but it’s a teammate with driving assistant and answering questions, especially about places you haven’t been to before. Whether our cars are similar or different, it’s helpful because you can know why he’s feeling that, how our setups compare. It helps you get there easier. I think that’s been a big part of our success.
“Jacob is involved. At all the Pennsylvania races he was there. He’s been very helpful and one of the biggest supporters. Any way that he can help he has.”
It’s been quite the whirlwind last few months for the driver who cut his teeth racing Outlaw Karts on the West Coast, capturing two championships and 48 feature wins at the famed Red Bluff dirt track in Redding, Calif. Holmes advanced to sprint cars in 2017, winning the Interstate Sprint Car Series crown in 2019 and the Western Sprint Tour title last year. In fact, Holmes didn’t make his 410 winged sprint car debut until 2021. Two years later, an opportunity to finish a World of Outlaws season with a full-time team presented itself for the driver who has garnered a strong following thanks in part to his social media presence.
As of late October, Holmes had no solid plans for next season.
“We’re not sure about anything yet about 2024,” he said. “I’m just hoping I have a chance to be racing in the Midwest more and on the biggest stage. I think there could be a possibility (to return to Shark Racing), but we haven’t talked about it. I always have my own stuff to fall back on. It can be nerve-racking not being sure.
“Mainly (I want) to see how far we can go with it. It’d be great to be on the road and give that a shot to race on the road, be with the Outlaws or any national division.”
One thing is clear, the trips to the Midwest not only helped Holmes improve as a race car driver, they led to eyes shifting toward the Oregonian fresh out of his teens. Holmes impressed to earn the Shark Racing opportunity this summer and he has continued to capture attention.
This story appeared in the Nov 1, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
