Texas Speedzone - Holmes Hustles to CWWS Allstate Texas Thunder 200 @ Thunderhill Rceway 4/19/08

Kyle, Tx., (April 18th, 2008). Thunderhill Raceway once again played to the NASCAR Camping World West series on the always tricky 3/8 mile D-shaped track, just south of Austin. Through the efforts of Full Throttle Productions, the cars and stars from regional NASCAR series filled the pit area for the fourth annual Allstate Texas Racefest.

llstate Texas Thunder 200 @ Thunderhill Raceway, 4/19/08 By J M Hallas Kyle, Tx., (April 18th, 2008). Thunderhill Raceway once again played to the NASCAR Camping World West series on the always tricky 3/8 mile D-shaped track, just south of Austin. Through the efforts of Full Throttle Productions, the cars and stars from regional NASCAR series filled the pit area for the fourth annual Allstate Texas Racefest. Three different drivers has won the previous events, Steve Portenga, Eric Holmes and Scott Lynch, with Mike David the only driver to score a top five finish in each event. This would make for an exciting race with no clear cut favorite, and Holmes being the only driver registered that could possibly become a two-time winner. In early practices times, David Mayhew was quickest in the first session, followed by Holmes, rookie contender Jason Patison, Jason Bowles and Austin Cameron the five quickest. The Lone Star states, only entry, young Kristin Bumbera from the Houston, area put up a time of 16th fastest in the 22 car field. Holmes Hustles to Allstate Texas Thunder 150 Win When do firsts and second both translate into a win? When you're Eric Holmes making your second trip to Thunderhill Raceway and qualifying first. Running in second most of the race before taking first in the final laps. Taking you second first place finish of the season and second win on the track. In 2006 Holmes win at THR concluded a season that saw him take his first West Series Championship. Could this be a omen of things to come as Holmes competes for his second series title? Only time will tell as the season unfolds, but Holmes and the Toyota team seem to have that goal well within their sites at this point of the year. As green waved on the 22-car NASCAR Camping World West Series field Eric Holmes and Austin Cameron stayed side by side through turns 1-2. Cameron was able to pull Holmes down the back stretch and grab the lead, while David Mayhew and Jeff Barkshire made slight contact battling for third. Cameron put a little distance n Holmes by lap 5, but Holmes ran him back down five laps later, as both put distance on Barkshire and Mayhew. Jason Bowles got inside Jason Patison for fifth bringing Eric Hardin along into sixth. Bowles and Hardin were able to close in on the Barkshire, Mayhew duel, while the leaders continued to increase their advantage. On lap 23 the leaders caught the back of the pack and Cameron got out by five car lengths as they fought by Jack Sellers. In the pack, Jamie Dick got by Patison for seventh. Traffic again played a role as Cameron got hung behind Lloyd Mack, allowing Holmes to catch back up. Holmes was able to get a look inside on lap 34, as Barkshire and Mayhew closed in. Cameron finally used the high side to get by Mack, followed by Holmes on his tail. Barkshire got pinched into the grass in turn 2 trying to get by Mack and spun to bring out caution on lap 40 and losing several spots. With the CWWS side by side restarts, Mayhew was able to keep Holmes hung out on top to grab second. Hardin also kept Holmes outside sneaking into third, while Bowles was falling back even farther unable to find a spot in the low groove. Holmes picked up third from Hardin on lap 47, but as Barkshire tried to follow, Hardin slammed the door. The top three of Cameron, Mayhew and Holmes were just starting to pull away from Hardin and Barkshire when caution came out on lap 56 for a spin by Mack in turn 3. On the restart, Mayhew tried to hang with Cameron on the high side, but Holmes returned the earlier favor, and retook second keeping Mayhew on the outside. Holmes then began to put some pressure on Cameron for the lead taking a quick look inside as Cameron would come out of turn 4 a little high. At the crossed flags it was Cameron, Holmes, Mayhew, Barkshire and Hardin in the top five. Behind the lead quintet, Johnny Borneman headed a pack of Jim Inglebright, Brett Thompson, Mike Gallegos, Jeff Jefferson, Bowles, Mike David and Moses Smith all running nose to tail for the sixth spot on back. Thompson and Gallegos were able to get by Inglebright on lap 77 for seventh and eighth. The lead pack hit lap traffic again on lap 79, but a yellow for contact between Mack and Dick sending Dick off the turn 1 hill, restacked the field. Mayhew hung Holmes out again on the restart, by Holmes did a quick crossover and got back by to hold second. Inglebright got by Borneman and Gallegos in th mid pack brawl that saw Bowles get turned and tagged as the field scattered to avoid him. Once again Mayhew hung Holmes out for second, with Inglebright moving up to sixth. Sellers, Pat O'Keefe and Dick spun in turn 1 with Sellers getting T-boned by Mack bring the yellow quickly back out. Once back to green, Mayhew squeezed his way down in front of Holmes o hold on to second, while Hardin got hung out falling back several places. Holmes got under Mayhew for second on lap 112, while Barkshire and Jefferson traded some paint as the battled for position. A multi-car spin on lap 115 brought the field back under yellow. When green waved again Holmes took a look low on Cameron, but in the field Bowles got turned by Smith in turn 3, while Dick was spinning in turn 1. As the race resumed, Holmes hung with Cameron on the high side, then ducked in low and got the inside away going into turn 3 on lap 131. Holmes was able to secure the top spot on lap 132 to complete what would be the winning pass. Jefferson spun on lap 134 to bring out the final caution and set up one final side by side restart. Once back under green, Mayhew was able to keep Cameron on the high side and get second, but Cameron crossed over and got back by. Hardin was able to work back up to fourth, with Inglebright getting fifth. The final five laps saw Holmes inching away from Cameron, but starting to show some smoke. Holmes and the car held on long enough to take the victory. As Holmes stopped in Victory lane, steam spewed from the overflow as the engine had little life left to give. “I don't know that we've found anything special here.” said Holmes. “This track just really fits my driving style. You have to be aggressive but you can't overdrive the corners. My team gives me great cars. Both times I've been here I've had fast cars. I've been here twice and won twice so I can't complain. I love Texas!” “I had to wait for him to make a mistake. He slid up on that one restart in turn 2 and I got underneath him an got by him. I knew I had a faster car it was just a matter of getting by. I got a bad start at the beginning of the race and Austin(Cameron) beat me down in there. I usually get good starts, but my car just didn't go.” “The double file restarts are fun, more exciting for the fans. We have to put on a show. Sometimes they don't go your way, sometimes it does. You just have to work hard at it and get a good run.” “I probably used up the right rear,” replied a disappointed Cameron. “ It got it to hot and I didn't have much forward drive those last few restarts. It was getting loose coming off the corners and I was giving up to much.” “If I it to do again, I'd have started a gear higher on the restart that Eric(Holmes) got me. I held him off, but got in too deep going into turn 1. That gave him the inside going down the back stretch. That was my mistake right there. I overdrove it too much and pushed up. That was it.” “We fought hard though. I'm real proud. We kept the car in one piece. It was a good 1-2 finish for team Toyota and NAPA Auto Parts. I'm still upset I was second, but that's the way it goes. Camping World West Series Allstate Texas Thunder 150 1.20 Eric Holmes 2.2. 18 Austin Cameron 3.21 David Mayhew 4.4 5 Eric Hardin 5.1 Jim Inglebright 6.22 Jason Bowles 7.2 Mike David 8.46 Jeff Barkshire 9.34 Mike Gallegos 10.10. 17 Jason Patison 11. 40 Kristin Bumbera 12. 10 Jim Warn 13. 61 Brett Thompson 14. 42 Jeff Jefferson 15. 3 Wes Banks 16. 16 Moses Smith 17. 31 Pat O'Keefe 18. 88 Jamie Dick 19. 15 Jack Sellers 20. 8 Johnny Borneman 21. 33 Lloyd Mack 22. 71 Daryl Harr At the conclusion of qualifying it was the two of the three Bill McAnally Racing, NAPA Auto Parts, Lincoln Welders, TRD, Bill Meropolis Race Engines, team Toyota's on the front, with Eric Holmes setting fast time with 14. 839 narrowly missing the track record by .003. Flanking Holmes would be his teammate, Austin Cameron. "We had a really good car all day," replied Holmes. "It qualified good and I hope it's as good in the race. We approach every race the same. We won when I raced here in 2006, so knew what to expect. We put the same set up under it and tuned it from there. It's a little hotter here tan California, so that's all you have to prepare differently for." "They told how fast it was. It didn't have that other .003 in it really. I didn't even think it was that good. Sometimes the laps that don't feel good are the best ones. It tough to pass here, so starting up front is the key. There's a lot of great competition behind me that I'll have to fend off all night." "I'm going to tell Austin not to wreck me on the first lap," he added jokingly. "We'll see. The inside is so much better here that hopefully he can just fall in behind me and we can bring home a 1-2 finish. only teams order are not to run into each other.. "We have very similar cars and they are prepped the same," stated Cameron. "We're both going to have great cars tonight. I'm upset that I'm sitting second instead of first. That's the only thing." "We'll give and take at the start. It's a long race, 150 laps so nobody needs to get stupid off the bat. We'll see who gets the jump and I'll decide if I need to let off or if he lets off. I think we'll be alright with that deal." "I think the upper groove will work in after some laps. If sure it won't be so hot at the start. I think we'll have it together. Hey, it's a track, that goes in a circle and it's got asphalt, so it's not a whole different than those back west. With the heat we might have to adjust for the heat here. You just have to get in a good mental mindset and drive smart. I'm sure they're be some chaos in this race. We just want to stay out of it." NASCAR Camping World Series qualifying 71 Daryl Harr, 15.558, 15.468 61 Brett Thompson, 15. 552, 15.327 31 Pat O'Keefe, 16. 137, 16.048 1 Jim Inglebright, 15.476, 1.396 46 Jeff Barkshire, 15.206, 15.072 40 Kristin Bumbera, 15.411, 15.227 21 David Mayhew, 15.067, 15.225 88 Jamie Dick, 15.293, 15.144 10 Jim Warn 15.492, 15.315 22 Jason Bowles, 15.322, 15.129 2 Mike David, 15.391, 15.365 42 Jeff Jefferson, 15.391, 15.267 17 Jason Patison, 15.436, 15.114 5 Eric Hardin, 15.226, 15.119 16 Moses Smith, 15.273, 15.144 15 Jack Sellers, 16.225, 15.670 20 Eric Holmes, 14.921, 14.839 8 Johnny Borneman, 15.279, 15.263 34 Mike Gallegos, 15.312, 15.274 33 Lloyd Mack, 16.043, 15.620 18 Austin Cameron, 15.041, 15.039 3 Wes Banks, 15.804, 15.726