Love's RV Stop 225 Race Recap | The Fast Lane

Race Recap - Love's RV Stop 225

Bret Holmes in the Golden Eagle Number 32 truck at Talladega Superspeedway. — Bret Holmes drives the Golden Eagle Syrup Company No. 32 around Talladega Superspeedway.

Qualification Stats:

Time & Conditions: 12:00 PM CT | 86°F | Broken Clouds | No wind

Holmes and the team prepped the Golden Eagle No. 32 truck Friday morning at Bret's home track, Talladega Superspeedway. The weather was warmer than expected during qualifying but would later cool off during the race. Holmes piloted the truck to a P19 start with a time of 54.910 seconds.

Holmes and his pit crew wait for their turn to qualify. — Holmes and the crew prepare to qualify at Talladega Superspeedway.

Race Stats:

Time & Conditions: 3:30 PM CT | 79°F | Broken Clouds | 5 MPH Winds

Starting Position & Results: P19 | P17 | P9 | P9

Bret Holmes and his crew posing for a photo with Aubie. — Holmes and crew take photos with special guest, Aubie the Tiger.

Stage 1

Staying patient, Holmes looked to find the draft early and waited to make his moves. With no cautions until the stage break, the field found their lines and pushed for the first 20 laps. At the end of the stage, Holmes had advanced two positions.

Stage 2

Having no problem passing through traffic, Holmes advanced cleanly until he swerved to avoid a wreck in the tri-oval. Driving onto the apron and through the grass, the No. 32 truck would sustain damage that would hinder Holmes and the team in the final stage. However, skillful driving and acute awareness helped Holmes end the second stage in P9.

Holmes advances through traffic with help from Daniel Dye.

Final Stage

At the start of the final stage, the No. 32 truck fell towards the back of the pack as Holmes radioed the team about a vibration issue. Worried about fender damage and grass in the grill, the crew told Holmes to bring the truck down Pit Road for inspection. Two cautions during the final stretch allowed the team ample time to tune up the truck, giving Bret a shot to finish the race on the lead lap.
To finish strong, Holmes jumped to the outside lane for momentum. With the help of the other trucks, Holmes formed a second line to battle the leaders, advancing steadily as the laps wound down.
As the field pushed for the lead, Tyler Ankrum in the No. 18 truck spun sideways, causing the field to wreck. Holmes crossed the finish line backward in P9, another top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway.