Holmes Added To BRP CanAm Winners List

 

Little Valley, NY…Bill Holmes is an excellent racer with a very impressive racing resume, but until Saturday night [9/24] at Little Valley Speedway his resume did not include a BRP CanAm win. Oh, he tried, but until tonight he had a long list of DNFs, a few good runs with a best of second in 2003.  His resume now looks a lot better.

 

Holmes shared, “This is a giant relief.  We have had terrible luck in the BRP CanAm races for three years. I was beginning to think that maybe I would never win one of these.  This is great.  I am glad to have that monkey off my back.”   This fast young racer is a man of few words, but without a doubt he was very happy.

 

Holmes’ initial BRP CanAm win was not a surprise to anyone, but in both the early laps and final laps his odds at the nearby gaming casinos were even, at best.

 

Holmes started his dad’s shiny black GRT Monte Carlo seventh in the 26 car field.  He made little forward progress until race leader Rich Michael’s car went up in a giant cloud smoke from engine failure just after he completed lap six.  About simultaneous with, but not caused by, Michael’s problem a multi car tangle slowed the event for the first of three caution periods.  After the restart Holmes had gained four positions and three black Monte Carlos owned the top three spots.  The leader was Jon Lichy looking strong and after his first ever BRP CanAm win.  Close behind Lichy’s black Oldshield’s Smokes Shaw Monte Carlo was Jeff Chesebro hot after his win at Black Rock Speedway the night before in his black Fitzsimmon’s Contracting GRT Monte Carlo.  Chesebro had won at Woodhull last week and was hoping for three wins in a row.  Neither Lichy nor Chesebro had ever won at the extremely fast Little Valley half mile and Holmes makes a habit of winning at that Cattaraugus County fairgrounds track.  Holmes’s odds now looked better.

 

On lap eight the casino odds makers thought about closing shop. 

 

Holmes was out front and the grandstand spectators as well as the gamblers started watching Series point leader Darren Kish. Kish was patiently making forward progress from his eighth starting position.  After a lap 10 caution period Kish started knocking them off at about a car per lap.  The fast Canadian was fifth at lap 10.  He passed Jon Lichy for fourth on lap 12. Next he was past Paul Grigsby for third. Chesebro’s odds went bad when Kish went by him for second on lap 15. 

 

Then the gaming tables got busy. 

 

Kish had won the BRP CanAm season opener at Little Valley in May and was closing on Holmes in a hurry.  The Little Valley format [due to track size and configuration] calls for 20 lap A-Mains.  Kish would have loved the Series standard of 30 laps since he appeared to have the faster car in the final laps, but John Powell’s checkered flag flew first for Bill Holmes and the soon to be married heavy equipment operator had the BRP CanAm win in his resume.

 

Bets closed on the BRP CanAm championship.

 

Kish’s runner-up finish combined with AJ Young’s ninth place finish will send Kish to the Series championship race at Black Rock Speedway on October 15 already knowing that he will be taking the 2005 BRP CanAm Series championship trophy and $4000US across the border to his home town of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.

 

Todd Rice was a rocket all race long, but mired back in 19 at the start he had a nearly impossible task of winning the race.  Rice passed Jon Lichy and Paul Grigsby in the fourth turn of the final lap to earn an outstanding third place finish in his Bauchard Dodge & Resale – Tioga Energy GRT Taurus.

 

Paul Grigsby was quietly fast and steady all race long in his black Beck Development – Barden Homes Shaw Monte Carlo.  Grigsby has had a series of mechanical problems since the Merrittville double-header and he was very ready for a decent finish.  He would have liked more but he went home to East Concord with no broken parts and a fine fourth place finish.

 

Jon Lichy would have liked nothing better than to win at Little Valley Speedway since he lives only 10 minutes from the track. He did not win, but he gave a valiant effort and put on a great show for his family and friends with a great fifth place finish.       

 

Bruce Miller, Steve Dixon, Bob Dixon, AJ Young, and Jim Johnson completed the top ten.

 

The 39 car field was reduced to 26 A-Main starters via four heats which were won by Jeff Chesebro, Jon rivers, Todd Hanson, and Rich Michael. Ed Carley Motorsports $100 B-Main winners were Matt Cobb and Steve Dixon.  Tim Schram and Junior Peters used provisional to make the A-Main.

 

Can & Bottle Return of Delevan 30 lap A-Main finish:  BILL HOLMES, Darren Kish, Todd Rice, Paul Grigsby, Jon Lichy, Bruce Miller, Steve Dixon, Bob Dixon, AJ Young, Jim Johnson, Neil Patterson, Pete Waldron, Tim Schram, Ron Baker, Bob Babbitt, Rich Hale, Matt Cobb, Jeff Chesebro, Jason Tingue, Todd Hanson, Tim Rockwell, Don Newton, Jr Peters, Rich Michael, Jon Rivers, Jack Harrington – DNQ: Rick Baker, Scott Beherns, Dan Dunham, Larry Knowles, Don Krug, Brad Malloy, Jason Schoomaker, Tom Schnars, Alan Wais, John Venuto, JJ Watson, Jeremy Wonderling, and Mikey Wonderling