NASCAR team shuts down with immediate effect in shock announcement

Bret Holmes Racing has announced the immediate closure of its operations. The team, which is a regular in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, has announced that it will not participate in the series until the end of the current 2024 season. Thanks to this decision, pilot and team owner Bret Holmes became a free agent.

Formed with the primary goal of achieving success in stock car racing, the team successfully captured the 2020 ARCA Menards Series championship. This victory came against the odds as the team was working on limited resources and older equipment. Their technical alliance with Spire Motorsports helped support their operations as BHR advanced into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Holmes himself has shown promise throughout his career, with two top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes in 56 career starts. His record puts him 18th in the series standings, although he has faced some setbacks, such as his absence from the recent Homestead-Miami Speedway race. The absence of the No. 32 BHR car from the race hinted at growing difficulties within the team.

In a heartfelt statement, BHR confirmed the news on social media, writing:

“Today, Bret Holmes Racing made the difficult decision to close our doors and will not be returning to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the 2024 or 2025 season.

“We thank all of our fans, sponsors, friends, families – and most importantly, our team – for their support and dedication to BHR every step of the way.

“We appreciate each of you for the role you played in making every day of the race memorable.

“After closing BHR, Bret Holmes hopes to continue racing in the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.”

The departure of key personnel, such as Mike Shiplett, a former crew chief now at Niece Motorsports, also contributed to BHR’s closure. Financial challenges also remained, as evidenced by fluctuating sponsorship opportunities despite support from companies such as Precision Garage Door Service and First Bank of Alabama.

Only three races remain before the end of the 2024 season at Homestead Miami, Martinsville and Phoenix.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Current Standings

1. Corey Haim – 3078
2. Christian Ekes – 3077
3. Grant Enfinger – 3066
4. Ty Majeski – 3053
5. Raja Karut – 3048
6. Taylor Gray – 3040
7. Nicholas Sanchez – 3033
8. Tyler Ankrum – 3030
9. Daniel Dye – 2089
10. Ben Rhodes – 2057
11. Lane Riggs – 515
12. Tanner Gray – 499
13. Stewart Friesen – 472
14. Matt Crafton – 455
15. Chase Purdy – 440
16. Jake Garcia – 406
17. Dean Thompson – 399
18. Bret Holmes – 360
19. Bailey Curry – 349
20. Ty Dillon – 334
21. Caden Honeycutt – 305
22. Timmy Hill – 304
23. Matt Mills – 295
24. Lawless Alan – 269
25. Spencer Boyd – 233
26. Stefan Parsons – 215
27. Jack Wood – 215
28. Mason Massey – 207
29. Conner Jones – 157
30. Connor Mozak – 148
31. William Savalich – 141
32. Ted Moffitt – 128
33. Mason Maggio – 105
34. Keith McGee – 77
35. Dawson Sutton – 73
36. Luke Fenghaus – 72
37. Brendan Quinn – 68
38. Brett Moffitt – 59
39. Johnny Sauter – 56
40. Colby Howard – 55
41. Jason M. White – 42
42. Corey Roper – 36
43. Brian Dozat – 31
44. null null – 30
45. Andres Perez De Lara – 28
46. Justin Carroll – 28
47. Connor Hall – 27
48. Marco Andretti – 27
49. Cam Waters – 25
50. Corey Day – 24
51. Clay Greenfield – 22
52. Clint Bowyer – 22
53. null null – 20
54. Justin Mondike – 20
55. Chris Wright – 18
56. Dawson Crum – 17
57. Carter Fartach – 16
58. Norm Benning – 16
59. Vicente Salas – 15
60. Cody Rohrbaugh – 14
61. Frankie Muniz – 14
62. Memphis Villarreal – 12
63. Dale Quarterly – 11
64. Steven Mallozzi – 11
65. Jennifer Jo Cobb – 11
66. Tony Breidinger – 10
67. Tyler Tomassi – 9
68. Akinori Ogata – 7
69. Josh Romeu – 4
70. Matthew Gould – 4
71. Blake Lothian – 3
72. Clayton Green – 3
73. Trey Hutchens III – 3
74. Jeffrey Earnhardt – 2
75. Jerry Bolman – 1
76. Jason Alexander – 1