Bret Holmes Bio
Stacy Bret Holmes (born May 5, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. A native of Munford, Alabama, he last competed part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Tricon Garage. Holmes is best known for capturing the 2020 ARCA Menards Series championship with his family-owned Bret Holmes Racing team.
Over the course of his career, Holmes has built a steady résumé across late model and ARCA competition, with appearances in both the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East. He has also made select starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, establishing himself as a consistent short-track and intermediate-track competitor.
Early Life and Background
Stacy Bret Holmes was born on May 5, 1997, in Munford, Alabama, where he continues to make his home. Racing was a part of his life from a young age, and he began competing in go-kart events at the age of eight. He spent four years in karting and tallied sixty wins during that developmental stage, an early sign of the speed he would later carry into stock cars.
After karting, Holmes moved into a wide range of series on both dirt and asphalt. He captured a championship in the Crate Late Model Division and later raced in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, gaining valuable experience on short tracks across the Southeast. His family also had deep roots in the sport, with his father, Stacy Holmes, also a former racing driver.
Path to NASCAR
Holmes began racing in the ARCA Menards Series in 2016, intending to compete in the season opener at Daytona for Empire Racing in the No. 18 Ford, although he ultimately withdrew from that event. He had previously tested with the team at Daytona in January, and that preseason work set the stage for his full-time ARCA push in later seasons.
While balancing his racing ambitions, Holmes also attended Auburn University, where he studied building science. He continued to develop his craft in ARCA, and by 2020 he shifted his Bret Holmes Racing operation into a full-time ARCA effort. That decision paid off with a series title and opened the door to national NASCAR competition.
Bret Holmes Career
Early Career (2015–2019)
Holmes’ first major title came in 2015, when he won the Show Me The Money Pro Late Model Series championship, establishing himself as a rising talent in the Southeast late model ranks. That success helped him line up his ARCA Menards Series debut the following year, beginning a long run of consistent competition in the development series.
Between 2016 and 2019, Holmes steadily logged laps in ARCA, learning the longer races and bigger tracks that defined the schedule. He focused on consistency, completing races and posting finishes strong enough to position himself for a championship push once he committed to running a full slate with Bret Holmes Racing.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2020)
In 2020, Holmes initially planned a part-time ARCA schedule, but strong early results convinced him to run the full season. He claimed his first career ARCA win at Kansas Speedway in the Dawn Ultra 150, leading 82 of the 100 laps in a dominant performance. From there, he closed the year with top-five finishes in each of the final four races.
That consistency carried him to the 2020 ARCA Menards Series championship, which he won by twelve points over Michael Self. The title cemented his reputation as a development driver ready for the next level and led to expansion of Bret Holmes Racing into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series the following season.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2021–Present)
Holmes made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at the 2021 Bucked Up 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He ran a part-time Truck schedule alongside his ARCA commitments, building seat time on the larger intermediate tracks that define the series. Over time, he became a regular on the Truck grid with Bret Holmes Racing, focused on steadily improving his finishes.
A memorable moment came on October 1, 2022, in the Chevy Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, when Holmes appeared to narrowly beat Matt DiBenedetto of Rackley WAR to the line, only to be classified third once officials reviewed the caution. The result was a tough break but showed his growing speed in pack racing. Through his Truck starts, he has recorded multiple top-ten finishes while continuing to chase his first national-series victory.
Tricon Garage Era (2025–Present)
On October 9, 2025, it was announced that Holmes would return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, this time driving the No. 1 Toyota for Tricon Garage. The move paired him with one of the top Toyota-supported teams in the series and gave him access to deeper engineering and crew chief resources. He last competed part-time in the Truck Series with the team.
His recent Truck Series results show four top-ten finishes across his career to date, and his best overall Truck points finish came in 2024 with a 20th-place ranking. With Tricon Garage, Holmes has shifted into a manufacturer-backed program built around consistent development and weekly improvement.
Driving Style and Strengths
Holmes is known for a smooth, methodical driving style shaped by years of late model racing on tight short tracks. He excels at maintaining consistent lap times over long runs, a skill that has translated well into longer ARCA and Truck Series events. His partnership with his family-run Bret Holmes Racing crew helped him develop strong communication and strategy instincts that he now brings to a larger Toyota operation.
Notable Races and Milestones
His signature race remains the 2020 Dawn Ultra 150 at Kansas Speedway, where he led 82 laps and scored his first ARCA Menards Series victory. The Talladega finish in 2022, the 2020 ARCA championship, and his 2025 announcement with Tricon Garage round out the most important moments of his career so far.
Bret Holmes Career Wins
Holmes has collected wins at both the late model and ARCA levels of stock car racing. His career includes a Pro Late Model series championship and a verified ARCA Menards Series victory, along with consistent top-ten production across development series. He has yet to record a NASCAR national-series win but has posted multiple top-ten finishes in the Truck Series.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Holmes recorded one career ARCA Menards Series win, captured in dominant fashion at Kansas Speedway in 2020, and added 69 top-ten finishes along with one pole. His best ARCA points finish was a championship-winning 1st place in 2020, the high point of a long run in the series that stretched from his 2016 debut through 2023.
He also competed in the ARCA Menards Series East, where his best points result was 14th in 2020. Across that East schedule he added four top-ten finishes, reinforcing his reputation as a steady, points-friendly competitor in the ARCA pipeline.
Other Wins and Performances
In 2015, Holmes captured the Show Me The Money Pro Late Model Series championship, his first major touring title. He also won the Crate Late Model Division championship earlier in his development and posted sixty karting victories as a young driver, building the foundation for his later stock car success.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 1 | 69 | 1 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Bret Holmes Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Holmes comes from a racing family rooted in Munford, Alabama. His father, Stacy Holmes, is a former racing driver who frequently competed at the Talladega Short Track. Stacy held the track record there until Bret broke it in 2013, a symbolic passing of the torch between father and son.
The Holmes family has also been central to Bret’s professional team, with Bret Holmes Racing serving as the family-owned operation that carried him through his ARCA championship and into the Truck Series.
Personal Life
Holmes lives in Munford, Alabama, the same small community where he grew up and started his racing career. He attended Auburn University, where he studied building science while continuing to race, balancing his education with the demands of a developing stock car career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a significant change for Holmes, beginning with continued Truck Series starts before his October 9 announcement as the driver of the No. 1 Toyota for Tricon Garage. He has been competing part-time while helping develop the program, with his most recent Truck Series start coming in the 2025 Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega. The 2025 Truck Series campaign is currently classified 67th in the standings.
Although he has not yet cracked victory lane at the national NASCAR level, Holmes has continued to log clean finishes and top-ten pace, giving Tricon Garage a reliable driver to build around. With Toyota factory support and a deeper crew chief structure, his 2025 results are aimed at building momentum rather than chasing a championship.
Looking ahead, the partnership with Tricon Garage offers Holmes his best opportunity yet to chase his first NASCAR national-series win. A full offseason of preparation and aligned manufacturer resources position him to be a more regular threat in 2026 and beyond.
