Living in Munford, Ala., Holmes grew up minutes away from the Talladega Superspeedway, one of the largest motorsports complexes in the United States. While the proximity of the iconic racetrack may have sparked his initial interest in the high-stakes sport, what really set in motion Holmes’ need for speed was watching his father, Stacy Brian Holmes, dominate on the Talladega Short Track.

“I grew up as a little kid just watching him race, winning and being successful on the track and building friendships with the people who also raced at the track every week,” said Holmes.

After watching his dad become the short track record holder, it didn’t take long for Holmes to follow in his speedy footsteps. At 6 he started racing go-karts, then moved into asphalt and dirt late model racing. He soon made a name for himself on the track by racing in the Crate Late Model division, which resulted in two victories in only a year.

In 2013, Holmes won the Rookie of the Year title and earned two additional victories, finally surpassing his father to set the new track record.

In 2016, the family-owned team of Bret Holmes Racing (BHR) was born, making Holmes not only a racer, but also a young team owner and co-manager.

“We’ve taken a different route than a lot of people have,” said Holmes. “We started our own team and tried to cross so many different racing divisions.”

Competing in vastly different racing disciplines, Holmes takes every opportunity he can to get behind the wheel. Between go-karts and legend cars, dirt and asphalt tracks, late models and truck racing, navigating these transitions has been the hallmark of his career. Each gear shift helps Holmes master different driving styles and adapt to an array of on-track conditions.

“There are so many steps to racing and–even sitting here today–it feels like we have so far to go to get where we want to be in the Truck Series,” he said. Moving from one series to the next, Holmes refines his driving skills with each new racing division.

“I do my racing stuff two to three nights a week for a few hours, but a lot of it is banking on my past experience on the track. Things change every race so you have to change your setup and driving style based on what you know.”

The competitive and dangerous field of racing is full of highs and lows which can determine the fate of the series’ championship. For Holmes, it’s difficult getting over a bad performance, but instead of dwelling on these experiences, he sees the light at the end of the finish line.

“You remember the hardest days–the times that took you to a bad place–and when you’re done, when you accomplish something big, it makes it all worth it. It’s a blessing to have that opportunity and experience it all.”

The cost of competitive racing, ranging from vehicle maintenance and travel expenses to team salaries and equipment can quickly add up–especially for a small operation like BHR. Landing sponsors and donors becomes a vital lifeline, requiring consistent dedication not only from the driver but from the entire team.

And that’s just on the track. When he’s not racing, he works for his family’s construction company, Holmes II Excavation. Despite the demanding schedule and pressure, Holmes finds solitude behind the wheel.

“It’s so strange. When I’m in the truck or in a car, I’m not worried about anything else. But when I’m outside of it, I’m thinking about a hundred different things, whether it be work or personal stuff. I love racing for that reason.”

To keep up with Holmes as he races to the NASCAR Truck Series Championship, visit the Bret Holmes Racing website.

By Mia Esposito

The legend goes that if students kiss their significant other beside the Lathe at midnight—and its wheel does not move—they have been faithful to each other. How many marriages have been determined by this relic cannot be determined, but the myth’s longevity suggests there is some truth behind it.

For countless generations of Auburn students, though, it’s one of just many ways to show affection for one another. From engagements on the Samford lawn to joint lemonades at Toomer’s Corner, or risking a poor love life by stepping on the Auburn Seal, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day on the Plains.

Jeanne Y. Dozier (Youngblood) ’69
I met my husband [Jerry Dozier ‘68] at Auburn in the winter quarter of 1967. Back then we were required to have six quarters of PE. No one wanted to do an outdoor PE during winter quarter, so I opted for social dance, which was an indoor activity. I walked on a very rainy and dreary day for my first day of class, and when I got there the place was already full of people. I looked out, and I thought, ‘Oh boy.’ Over all of those heads were these two male heads sticking up. I looked at the two guys and I thought, ‘Hmm, I like that one.’ He is the guy that I wound up marrying. He asked me to dance. We only saw each other in the social dance class in that entire quarter, but right before finals, he finally asked me out, and that was it. We dated and then got engaged.

Cameron R. Bottger ’11
I met my wife Morgan in the Haley Center. She just happened to sit in front of me in English class, and now almost 14 years later we share our last names. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

Terrie Duke (Farrell) ’82
I met my husband Jim Duke Jr. ’75 on a blind date to the 1974 Auburn vs. Albany game. A friend of mine set up the date. We were married for 43 years and have four children now. That’s one that I’ll always remember.

Mitchell C. Wilson ’20
I have a girlfriend I met at Auburn, and she helped me mature. She is the best thing in my life, and I intend to marry that girl even though I’m still young. She is the best experience I have had at Auburn. I’m very thankful that I attended Auburn because I never would have met her otherwise.

Rebecca “Becky” M. Evans (McClendon) ’64
It was during my sophomore year that I met my future husband, William Evans ’66. We met at a fraternity party—I was dancing with somebody else, and when the music stopped, he was standing right beside me. He introduced himself and asked me for a date in the same breath. We got married in September before my junior year.

Wyman A. Hamilton ’03
I met my wife when I was a senior. She was a freshman, and she also ran cross country and track at Auburn. We dated in her freshman year for a while, and we stayed real close. Once I graduated, we stayed in touch. We stayed good friends, and when she got a bit close to graduation, we started dating again and got married right after she graduated. We have been married ever since and have three beautiful girls.

G. “Bay” Haas ’63
I met the love of my life there. We have been married for 57 years, and we were together for 60 years, so I was very blessed. She was incredible. That was the most important thing that happened to me. Most of the credit would go to my wife [Charlotte Haas ’63] because she changed and helped me.

Travis “Tre” Connell Lee ’96
I met my wife [Jakierra Lee ‘98] at Auburn. She had a child before she came to school, and I was the local babysitter. I proposed to her in college, but we didn’t make it; she broke up with me. I had to mature a little bit. I grew up, and we got back together. We’ve been married now for ten years.

Michael “Mike” J. Cibulsky ’07
My wife [Courtney Cibulsky ‘06] is also an Auburn graduate. It was definitely the most valuable thing I took from Auburn. We met first at the apartment complex where I lived. We knew each other for a while, but we didn’t start dating until after we graduated. We’ve been together for nine years.

Dorothy “Dot” Dulion (Hurst) ’41
Before they had the dormitories, I was living in a boarding house. The girls served meals to some of the boys that lived in apartments around there. My future husband [William Dullion ’40] ate his meals in the same dining room I did, and that’s how we met. We went to the movies for our first date.

Lina Cui ’08
I met my husband [Tong Liu ‘11] in Auburn. After several months, we began to be familiar with each other. After one year, we got married in the Auburn church.

Carolyn Holt (Claybrook) ’71
I met my husband [William Holt ‘69] when I was a freshman on a blind date in the fall quarter. They had junior RAs that lived in the freshmen dorms. He’s from Florence, and he was friends with our RA from Florence. He called her up and said he’s getting an award and needs a date. She asked if I was free, and that’s how we met—on a blind date.

Dewey H. Jordan Jr. ’66
There was a young lady that was going out with a friend of mine. I was over there one night and he and his girlfriend were there in the room. I was just sitting there by myself and he said to his girl, Sandy, “Why don’t you call over there to the dorm and see if anybody wants to come over here?” She said to us, “I know just who I’m going to call.” She called over to the dorm, and it was a girl that was in pharmacy school. They talked her into coming over to the greenhouse. I called her up two weeks later and said, “Would you like to go out with me again?” She said, “I certainly would.” That’s how I met my wife [Alice Jordan ‘65]. We have been married for 58 years.

Sara Longshore McDonald ’58
My husband [William McDonald Jr. ‘58] graduated from Auburn in 1958. We met in high school, and we decided to go to Auburn together since we had been dating since high school. We’ve known each other for a long, long time. We’ve been married for 59 years.

Robert M. Vetzel ’64
That’s where I met my wife Evelyn. She was an Evergreen, Alabama girl. My roommate’s girlfriend told him about this girl who wanted to go to the military ball. He got her number, and I called her up. That was our first date. Subsequently, that night we got in and the guys were all sitting around. I took my t-shirt off, and I had blotches all over me. They took me to the infirmary, and I had the measles. Well, there I was, stashed away in the infirmary for three or four days with measles, and then she would go to Toomer’s Corner and get me cheeseburgers and bring them over to the infirmary. It’s kind of a cute story. That’s how our romance started, and we’ve been married about 62 years. We have three children and eight grandchildren.

Thomas “Tom” W. Clark Jr. ’74
For me, Auburn is home. I met my wife Karen there on an accidental blind date. I went to an apartment to pick up one girl for a date, but she was not there. My future wife was, and the rest is history.

Molly R. Justice (Newton) ’14
When I met my husband [Andrew Justice ‘13], I was engaged to a man from Georgia, but when he and I met, we hit it off. I attended events around town with mutual friends, and we both knew immediately we were meant to be together. We were married within a year.