Bret Holmes upset the field.
A talented driver who has been working his way up the ladder, consistently, in the ARCA Menards Series is now the tour’s 37th champion of all time, etching his name in the history books with some of the best.
Holmes won the title by finishing in the runner-up position in the final race of the season at Kansas Speedway on Friday night, clinching the title over Venturini Motorsports’ Michael Self.
“The two things I’ve ever wanted was for my friends and family to be proud of me through racing, and for my team to have the same respect as the others,” Holmes said after the race. “I think we’ve earned that today. We paid our dues, and it’s a really special feeling.”
Holmes’ team is the first family owned ride to win an ARCA championship since Mason Mitchell Motorsports did it with Mitchell himself in 2014.
The title also makes Holmes the 12th different winner of the series in the past 12 seasons.
What’s next for the up-and-comer though, especially in a sport that has gotten extremely difficult when it comes to making your way to the top on your own.
Holmes says he’s up for the challenge.
“It’s been a tough road, for sure,” Holmes said. “Everything we’ve done has just been phenomenal this season, every decision we’ve made. To come out and not even know we were going to run the full season, and to finish it off like this is really special. To move to the next level, if it’s going to take me scratching and starving, that’s what I’m going to do. Because I know we deserve to be here.”