Eric Holmes Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Race at All American Speedway in Roseville
- 22 Oct 2010
Holmes won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at All American Speedway in Roseville, California, on Saturday night.
With a 156-point lead in the West Series standings, all Holmes needs to do is start the season finale at Phoenix International Raceway next month to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship. He won the West Series championship in 2006 and 2008. Holmes led five times for 108 laps, taking the lead for the last time on lap 114, at Roseville. He was out front for the final 36 laps of the race, finishing ahead of David Mayhew, who is second place in the West Series standings.
"That was an awesome race with David Mayhew," Holmes said. "That was a lot of fun. We just had to worry about some of those lappers and stuff going on, but man that was great side-by-side short track racing right there. I just can't thank David enough for racing me so clean. I'm proud to race against that guy." Holmes won for the third time in his West Series career at All American Speedway. There were 10 lead changes among three drivers. Holmes won the pole and led the first 26 laps of the race. Mayhew took over the lead on lap 27 and held it for two laps before Jacob Gomes took over on lap 29. "By far, I think we had pretty much the best car," said Holmes, driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Bill McAnally Racing. "After one of those greens my car wouldn't come in. I think the track was still oiled down and we all slipping and sliding and those two got by me." Gomes, who was making his West Series debut, was in the lead until lap 44. Mayhew regained the lead on lap 45. He and Holmes traded the lead six times before Holmes finally pulled away on a restart on lap 144. "I was just trying to be patient. I knew I had a good car and I knew I could get it at the end," Holmes said. "It was getting tough to decide inside or outside on them restarts and I just decided just to take the outside. It's tough calling clear down there in Turn 3, but I just gave him the room every lap and just made sure I got off them corners." Holmes snapped the two-race winning streak of his teammate, Paulie Harraka, at All American Speedway. Mayhew posted his eighth top-five finish in 11 West Series race this year. "It was good racing with Eric, but we needed to be on the outside and obviously he knew that too and took the outside the last couple a restarts," said Mayhew. "If we could get up on the outside of him, we could after four or five laps take the lead and start driving away but he could do the same thing when we were stuck on the bottom. It was just a good, clean run with Eric. I just wish some of the guys in the back could have calmed down a little bit so we could have some little bit longer green flag runs." Eric Schmidt was third, followed by Harraka in fourth and Juan Pitta in fifth. Gomes spun out midway through the race and ended up in 10th. Luis Martinez Jr. was the highest finishing rookie in sixth place. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series season finale is scheduled for Nov. 13 at Phoenix International Raceway. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
