For several years, Bret raced in a helmet with an Auburn logo, delighting race fans who pull for the Tigers.
“People who message us on social media to say, ‘Hey, I noticed your pit sign and helmet,’” Holmes said. “’We’re rooting for you.’”
While chasing a championship, Bret continues to work on his thesis project. He plans to graduate in December, earning his degree in five and a half years while racing from coast to coast.
“It’s been tough and challenging but I really enjoy construction management,” he said. “Auburn is my second home. It’s a place I can come to and come down from all of that pressure and stress from the weekend.”
If he can claim the ARCA Series championship, Holmes hopes to advance to the NASCAR truck series, then XFinity, on his way to the ultimate destination.
“That’s always been my dream, to make it into one of the top three series of NASCAR,” he said. “It’s a tough sport to make it in. There are only 40 drivers who get to go to the top level.”
With only a few coveted NASCAR Cup Series spots opening up each season, Bret Holmes knows the challenge ahead.
But one look in the rearview mirror reveals how far he’s already come – on the track and in the lab at Gorrie Center.
“Auburn provided people who are behind me and in my corner,” Bret said. “It’s been a home for a lot of friendships that will last for a long time. It’s been amazing.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer