Roulette Recap follows a randomly selected driver throughout a race to break down their efforts. There is no telling ahead of time how the race will go. The driver could face calamity on the opening lap or start from the rear and win the race. With that, may the odds be ever in the driver’s favor.
XPEL 225
Bret Holmes is likely best known for winning the 2020 ARCA Menards Series Championship. Currently, he is trying to make a name for himself and his race team, Bret Holmes Racing, in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
To kick off the 2024 NCTS season, the Munford, Alabama native secured a P4 finish at Daytona International Speedway. Additionally, he led 13 laps in that race – a career high for him in the NCTS. Heading into the first road course of the year, Holmes has logged an average starting position of 21.8 and an average finish of 14.5.
For the XPEL 225, Holmes sat P29 in practice and lined up P26 for the 42 lap race. However, four drivers ahead of him were forced to the rear which allowed him to better his position on track.
Holmes thanked his team and promised he’d “learn all day.” Crew chief Mike Shiplett said, “Keep it on the track, and we’ll do everything we can for you in the pits.”
Stage 1
As soon as the green flag was in the air, drivers made use of every bit of real estate to advance position. Throughout the opening lap, Holmes held the wheel steady and was scored P22. However, as the faster, to-the-rear cars worked on moving forward, he settled into P24 after two long laps around the track.
As drivers took Lap 3, the caution waved for debris on the track. Holmes updated his crew on the handling of his No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado, stating, “I feel out of the racetrack, especially on those long right-handers.” But, other than that, he was happy with his truck. Holmes was told by Shiplett, “Plan on staying out, but be ready for anything.”
The action resumed on Lap 6 with Holmes in P24, and once again, every inch of track was used up by drivers taking their trucks three wide.
Holmes narrowly avoided a pile-up in Turn 11, squeezing through to be scored P23. The next lap brought trouble for the No. 38 ahead of him and a spin for the No. 52 behind him, but the race stayed green and Holmes moved up to P21.
As he wrapped up Lap 7, he was in a battle with Lawless Alan. Eventually, he moved back to P23. Then, with four to go in the opening stage, Holmes, sitting P21, was encouraged to “start putting some laps together.”
To Pit or Not to Pit
Shiplett and spotter Andy Houston started to discuss pit stop strategy and ultimately decided to leave their driver on track through the stage end. With a buffer between his truck and those surrounding him, Holmes was able to settle in and work on that “learning” he hoped to do.
He finished the stage in P15. Shiplett asked what Holmes needed “the most.” He asked to be “more pinned down” especially in the long and wide turns.
Stage 2
After a round of adjustments, fresh tires, and a fill up on fuel, Holmes returned to the track in P19 for the Stage 2 restart on Lap 15. Drivers went five-wide into Turn 1, and once everything shook out, Holmes was sitting P23.
A lap later, Holmes fell to P26 alerted his team that he “couldn’t turn right” as well as the trucks surrounding him. In the subsequent laps, he was able to gain a spot back and was encouraged to “keep hitting the marks.”
By Lap 18, he had avoided a number of spins and bumps throughout the field and worked his way up another spot to P22.
As soon as he took Lap 19, Holmes radioed in, “Something’s broke! Something on the front end.”
Shiplett said, “Let’s try to make it to the stage end.” With eight to go in the stage, his team was attempting to diagnose from the spotter’s stand and pit road. While awaiting a yellow, the team felt it was a broken sway bar.
The much needed caution came with five to go as Alan went off course. Holmes was scored P27 and came to pit road for an official assessment of the truck. Quickly, the diagnosis came over the radio, “The sway bar is gone.” While on pit road, his team experienced numerous issues and, to top it all, Holmes was assessed a penalty for cutting the esses under caution.
As the field took the green-white-checkered flag, the No. 32 team continued to work on the truck.
Stage 3
As trucks took 14 to go to start the final stage, Holmes returned to the track in P34, down four laps. All was quiet on the radio over the next two laps while he worked to catch the field.
The good news: there were no more complanits of anything presumably broken on the truck. Holmes sat in 34th with 11 to go. However, it was noted Stefan Parsons was forced to complete a pass through penalty for cutting Turn 5. This moved Holmes up one more spot.
At the time, he was racing Layne Riggs, Spencer Boyd, and Thad Moffitt for position. Meanwhile, the leader, Corey Heim, had a commanding 8.5-second lead on the field, with eight to go.
In the closing laps, Holmes was encouraged that this was “free practice.”
Just when Heim likely thought his win was in the bag, the caution waved. This time, for a stalled truck on track with five to go. Shiplett called his driver in for fresh tires and adjustments to finish out the race.
The green waved with three to go and Holmes in P32. He avoided a three-truck spin and the race stayed green. As the field took two to go, he avoided another spin as Christian Eckes went around.
But before the white waved, the caution was out as the rear tires came off the No. 04.
Have you ever? pic.twitter.com/MsZG1s1Cj1
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 23, 2024
After a short red flag, NASCAR Overtime put Holmes in P30. Then, once all was said and done, Holmes brought his No. 32 Silverado home P29.
Holmes apologized for the sway bar issue, and Shiplett responded, “We’ll figure out what went wrong.”
Click here for a full rundown of the XPEL 225.
Driver & Team Socials
Be sure to give Bret Holmes (Instagram, X) and Bret Holmes Racing (Facebook) a follow to keep up with the latest news from the driver and team.
