Harraka Top Five and Holmes Top-Ten Finish at Sonoma Raceway

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Bill McAnally Racing’s driver of the No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Eric Holmes was looking for his first win at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Crew chief Trip Bruce and the team showed their readiness for the road course with Holmes third quick in the first practice and fifth in the final practice. He would start the race on the inside of row four for the Carneros 200.

Holmes’s teammate and pilot of the No. 20 Crackle Toyota Camry, Paulie Harraka was reunited with his NASCAR K&N Pro Series crew chief Duane Knorr.  This was his first start in the series since 2011. Harraka put the BMR Toyota Camry in the fifth spot during the first practice and at the top of the board in the final practice.  He would qualify on the outside of row two.

Green flag! The first caution was out at lap 4 with a stopped car on the track.  Holmes radioed in to the team that the track was slick and that the No. 16 NAPA Toyota Camry was a little tight.  Holmes would gain two positions by lap 14. Both BMR Toyotas came to pit road at lap 18 for a scheduled fuel stop. As the field shuffled thru for fuel, Holmes was shown in 6th at lap 27 and Harraka was in 5th. There would be green flag racing for the next 20 laps with both cars in the top five at lap 46. At the restart after a caution at lap 48, Holmes would jump into second but not be able to hang on to the position. He was in third at lap 58 when the right front tire on the No. 16 NAPA Toyota went flat. Quick work by the team got him back out in 16th. Holmes would take the checkered flag in ninth and Harraka would put the No. 20 Crackle Toyota in fifth.

“I had a good run,” said Holmes. “At the restart at lap 50 I saw an opportunity so I went hard. I had been pacing myself throughout the race up until that point. It was go time! Turned out it was one of the worst laps of my life with the outcome being a right front flat. Then I really had to get after it. We were able to gain seven positions but it’s not where we wanted to finish. We had a great NAPA Toyota Camry. I can’t thank our race partner, NAPA enough for their support all weekend long. It was great to see so many of our NAPA family be on hand to cheer us on.”

The Carneros “200” at Sonoma Raceway is scheduled to air on SPEED on Thursday, July 18 at 3 p.m. ET.

The next event on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule is at Colorado National Speedway in Dacono, Colo., on July 27.

BMR PR

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