Howdy Holmes | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Holmes driving a March 84C-Cosworth DFX during the 1984 Domino's Pizza 500 at Pocono International Raceway
|
|||||||
Nationality | American | ||||||
Born |
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
December 14, 1947 ||||||
Achievements | 1978 North American Formula Atlantic champion | ||||||
Awards | 1979 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year | ||||||
Champ Car career | |||||||
72 races run over 7 years | |||||||
Years active | 1979-1980, 1982-1985, 1985 | ||||||
Team(s) |
AMI Racing (1979-1980) Doug Shierson Racing (1982-1983) Mayer Racing (1984) Forsythe Racing (1985) Morales Motorsports (1988) |
||||||
Best finish | 12th - 1984 | ||||||
First race | 1979 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
Last race | 1988 Nissan Indy Challenge (Tamiami Park) | ||||||
|
Howdy S. Holmes (born December 14, 1947, Ann Arbor, Michigan), is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He began racing in the early 1970s and was based in , about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Chelsea, Michigan where his family owned a milling company.
He raced in the CART series for 7 seasons (1979-1980, 1982-1985, and 1988), with 72 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 each of those years except 1980. He finished in the top ten 26 times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1984 at Phoenix. He was the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the year in 1979, with a 7th-place finish. In 1978, he was the Formula Atlantic champion.
Holmes is currently the President of Chelsea Milling Company, his family's firm that was founded in 1901. Holmes' grandmother Mabel became famous for inventing the Jiffy line of baking mixes in 1930, and the family brand served as a sponsor for Holmes' cars.
Holmes would make his indy car debut in the USAC National Championship during 1979 for AMI Racing in the #46 Jiffy Mixes/Armstrong Mould Wildcat Mk. 2-Drake Goosen Sparks at the Indianapolis 500. In the race Holmes qualified in 13th place and would be the only rookie to qualify, meaning Holmes would win the rookie of the year award. Holmes would finish the race in 7th place. Holmes would drive a second race, the Music 500 Presented by Musicland & Sam Goody at Pocono International Raceway, starting and finishing 7th. Holmes would finish 12th in the USAC points, while going unranked towards the rival SCCA/CART PPG World Series due to Indianapolis counting towards the points for drivers competing in their championship.