SWS: Phoenix II: Qualifying notes

Holmes Perfect in Phoenix Pass

PHOENIX, ARIZ. (October 2, 2004) With Temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees Saturday afternoon, Eric Holmes from Escalon, Calif. was equally as hot collecting his third career Bud Pole Award and second consecutive fast time in NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series competition. Holmes toured the one-mile paved oval of Phoenix International Raceway in 27.656 seconds topping Bud Pole king Craig Raudman of Bakersfield, Calif. who qualified second with Raudman's teammate Burney of W. Sacramento, Calif. turning in the third fast lap. Two-time Phoenix winner and defending race champion Eddy McKean from Jerome, Idaho and David Gilliland rounded out the top five qualifiers.

"This new car really works," Holmes said. "Victory Circle Chassis' had a great day today taking the four top spots. With this new Freight-Train Peters engine, this is the best combination I have ever had. I have always run pretty good here, but I feel real good about tomorrow."

Holmes will lead the field of thirty starters to green in the JC Glass "100" which is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. PST Sunday. Sunday's race is event eleven in the fourteen-race championship series where Jim Pettit II of Prunedale, Calif. leads the point standings by 25 points over Raudman. Pettit qualified 24th. Brandon Riehl from Boring, Ore. who wrapped up seventh place in the final AutoZone Northwest Series and will make his first start at Phoenix.

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