Howdy Holmes | |||||||
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Nationality | American | ||||||
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, 1988 | ||||||
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) | ||||||
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Howdy Holmes (born December 14, 1947, in Ann Arbor, Michigan)[1][2] is a former racing driver in the CART Championship Car series. He began racing in the early 1970s and was based in Stockbridge, Michigan, about 36 miles (58 km) southeast from downtown Lansing and 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. His grandmother Mabel White Holmes became famous for inventing the Jiffy line of baking mixes in 1930, and the family brand served as a sponsor for his cars.