Eric Holmes, the 2006 West Series Champion, won the Bud Pole Award with a qualifying lap of 18.625 (96.664 mph) at Irwindale Speedway for the Fourth of July event. Eric and Brian Ikler battled throughout the 200-lap race, trading the lead nine times. Mike Duncan joined the pair during the final laps to make a three-wide battle for the lead. Ikler held on to win by a margin of .956 of a second, followed by Duncan and Holmes.

Eric’s next scheduled NASCAR Grand National West Series race will be at California Speedway on August 11th.