11-17-11 Holmes and the No. 20 NAPA Toyota Team at PIR, Three-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Champ finishes season 2nd in points
Source Kaye Reshaw
NASCAR K& Pro

The No. 20 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota team with champion driver Eric Holmes recorded a fourth place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season finale from Phoenix International Raceway. The top-five finish at PIR locked Bill McAnally Racing driver Holmes into the second position in the chase for the 2011 series championship. Holmes has three NKPS West championships and two second place finishes in the five years he’s been competing in the series.

At practice on Friday, Holmes spent some time getting to know the ‘new’ Phoenix International Raceway. During the summer, the one-mile track was reconfigured. Most noticeably was the back stretch where the dog-leg curve between turn 2 and 3 was pushed out 95-feet and the dog–leg tightened from 800 to 500 feet. “I wish this was my first time racing at PIR,” laughed Holmes. “I have some bad habits I need to change.” At the end of the nearly 3-hour practice session, Holmes was eleventh on the board of 43 drivers.

Under cloudy skies Saturday, the NAPA team prepared for an early morning qualifying session. Holmes qualified on the outside of row five to start the Casino Arizona “125”. The green flag dropped at 5 pm that evening.

Holmes gained three positions during the first 25 laps and another by lap 50. There was a half-way break at lap 66. The No. 20 NAPA Toyota was now running in the top-five. With fresh tires and full of fuel, Holmes would run in fifth until lap 112 where he moved into fourth for the second and final time of the race.

“Thank you team and NAPA for a great season,” said Holmes from the NAPA Toyota Camry.”A fourth-place finish and second in the championship… not bad. We joked that odd number years weren’t our best so we’ll have to just come back in 2012 and get NAPA AUTO PARTS a sixth series championship.”

Bill McAnally Racing and the No. 20 NAPA Toyota team would like to thank our race partner NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota, NAPA Filters, NGK, Balkamp and the many other great partners and all of the fans for their continued support through the season.

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