We are catching up with Tanner Holmes as we end the 2023 sprint car season.
 
JW: Hi, Tanner! Thanks for speaking with me today for a quick interview near the end of the 2023 sprint car season here in North America. This past year has been a whirlwind for you. Let’s get this question out of the way first. How has 2023 been for you?
 
TH: It’s been really good! The main focus for 2023 was preparing to race a bunch on the West Coast before heading out to the Mid-West to set ourselves [up] to race the Knoxville Nationals. We went back and forth a bit on our 360 & 410 program between local shows and top-level series between racing in the West Coast and Mid-West. We secured our first win of the year in April and had a really competitive KWS 410 Speed Week, where are worst finish was 7th, and we finished on the podium a couple of times [competed for podium places and led laps]. After that, we headed out to the Mid-West for four weeks in order to prepare ourselves for the Nationals. We had a great run at the 360 Nationals in the top five, but we had a failure at the end. Plus, 410 Nationals we had great speed. That ultimately led us to where we are at today with the Shark Racing deal that came about. I wouldn’t have predicted the year went the way it went. 
 
JW: You were busy racing up and down the West Coast early in the year, followed by heading out to the Mid-West to race a mix of different competition (i.e., High Limit, All Stars, World of Outlaws, etc.). This is where your year changed by 180 degrees when the Shark Racing opportunity came up after the Knoxville Nationals. For those that don’t know the whole story, what led up to the offer from Bobby Allen? What was the agreement that came into place?
 
TH: Jacob stepped away and the opportunity came out of nowhere. On the final night of Knoxville Nationals, we [our family] were already getting ready mentally to go home. We raced a ton up to that point, and it was really the peak of our season in the family car. Even for me, I was getting ready for a C-Main in which I wanted to do well in, get some laps, and gain more experience at Knoxville before heading back to Oregon. However, tight before the night began, Bobby [Allen] came over to the pit area in the late afternoon. Up to this point, we had never spoke before. It was kind of funny because Bobby drove by on his moped and asked, “Who drives this car?” It was a two- or three-minute conversation. Talked it over with my family to figure out the logistics from the prior plans we had. But it was a no brainer. At the end of the night, Bobby came back over to our trailer and said I’m in.”
 
JW: It’s fair to say that you have had a mixed bag of results with the Outlaws since jumping in that Shark Racing 1A [1T]. Realistically though, you have done extremely well for the short period of time you have been in that car. You have gone to parts of the country and raced at tracks that you have never stepped foot in. How would you rate your performance going into the World Finals at Charlotte?
 
TH: I would give it a solid B+. For the situation and how everything fell into place, it’s been solid. A couple of those nights we run top five, won a dash, a couple of quick times; all super-hard to do. For the most part, it’s went really, really well. We have seven top tens up to this point as well. We have dealt with some engine trouble as well here recently. It’s been a crazy year also dealing with the new tires that everyone has been struggling with this year. It’s been a mix of up and downs in this period.
 
JW: How have you been able to juggle the vlog while being out on the road on the Outlaws? Is it any different from how you normally would put together your videos with the family car, with regards to the amount of racing you have done throughout the second half of the year including all of the travel across the US?
 
TH: I felt the vlogs were more neglected during the family program as you are busy focusing on the car way more; compared to when I have been racing with the Outlaws. I’m able to focus more on the promotional side. Our family team, to a professional Outlaw team, is completely different. I’m used to setting up my own car and do a lot of work behind the scenes that takes up more time. Here with Shark Racing, I now have a team behind me helping with everything on the car which makes a massive difference when it comes to showing up for a race. I’m used to doing a lot of the little things on the family car, where now I don’t have to worry about those tasks. Obviously, I still help out when I can, but that was an adjustment to get used too.
 
JW: Shark Racing isn’t just a one car program, it’s a two-car operation. Have you been able to build a relationship with your current teammate, Logan Schuchart?
 
TH: Logan and I talk often. There are different things his team does from what we are doing. But it’s been great to learn from him and chat with him about different topics. Any of the little questions or concerns I have about something, he is more than willing to answer them for me and help out. He has a lot on his shoulders since he is his own crew chief on the car, which makes it even more impressive to see what he can do behind the wheel.
 
JW: The Outlaws raced at Devil’s Bowl this past weekend for the final time ever. What was it like to be able to race at this historic track for your first time, even though the weekend may not have gone the way you would have wanted?
 
TH: It was cool! I have never been there before, but you could see the emotional ties that so many people had with the track. It’s sad to see a place that has a lot of history go. Lots of fans and people from all over the country came to Devil’s Bowl for the weekend. It was a great way to send off the place. I’m glad that I got to experience the place and see it. The track is super unique from the backstretch to the front-stretch with the different elevation changes. A place like Devil’s Bowl for a driver is so different compared to most places.

JW: As we end this interview, as well as we near the end of the Outlaws season, I have to ask this final question: What are your 2024 plans? Do you see yourself coming back with Shark Racing to run the entire 2024 Outlaw season, or do you have other opportunities that you are working through for next year?
 
TH: Still working through different opportunities. Waiting to see where everything ends up. Obviously, I’m entertaining potential options and will see what happens once we finish up the Outlaw season in Charlotte after the World Finals. I would love to have the opportunity to be on a national tour, whether it’s with the Outlaws or High Limit. Now is the time of my life to do it. I would like to go out now, try it, and see what happens. I think you have to go out on the road and do it for a couple years to give yourself a shot to be successful more consistently. I would love to do it with Shark Racing next year; but if it doesn’t work out, I’m very thankful and grateful to them for the opportunity of a lifetime that I was offered. If an opportunity doesn’t come up nationally, we will focus more on the West Coast, race more, and build up the family program. Either way, I want to work on being the best!