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Carly Holmes is a dirt track sprint car driver from Jacksonville, Oregon, who earned her first sprint car win at just 14 years old and has built a reputation as one of the most promising young talents in a sport that doesn’t typically hand girls a wrench, let alone a steering wheel.

EARLY YEARS

Growing up in Southern Oregon, Holmes came from a racing family with a brother, Tanner Holmes, who was already making waves in the sprint car world. She started racing outlaw karts as a kid, getting her wheels dirty on the local dirt track circuit before most teenagers even have their driver’s licenses. By the time she was launching her YouTube channel to document her racing adventures, she was already competing in outlaw kart opens and logging wins at tracks like the Roseburg Indoor facility. Her family’s racing operation, Tanner Holmes Racing, became the foundation for her career, with her brother serving as both teammate and mentor as she worked her way up through the ranks.

OTHER INTERESTS

Holmes has built a significant social media presence through her YouTube channel, where she shares behind-the-scenes racing content, track preparation, and the realities of being a young woman in motorsports. She documents everything from wrenching on her own cars to dealing with injuries—including a scary crash where a car crushed her feet at full speed, leaving her with a potential broken foot. Beyond racing, she got married to Tanner Jones in 2024, hosting a welcome BBQ mixer complete with a bratwurst man for their wedding guests. Her merchandise line includes everything from pom beanies to racing posters, showing she’s not just thinking about the track—she’s building a brand.

EARLY SUCCESS

Holmes’s first major breakthrough came in 2020 when she won the Gary Jacobs Memorial at the Red Bluff Outlaws in her Factory QRC outlaw kart. That same year, she secured her first career Open Outlaw Kart win at the Roseburg Indoor, taking home a $500 payday that proved she could compete with the boys—and beat them. By 14, she was already making the jump to sprint cars, running her first sprint car race and quickly adapting to the 360-powered machines that require a completely different skill set than karts. Her first sprint car win came at Douglas County Dirt Track when she was still just 14 years old, a milestone that put her on the map in the Pacific Northwest dirt racing scene. She also made an impressive charge at the Cottage Grove Speedway during the Freedom Cup Finale, showing she could wheel a sprint car with confidence and aggression beyond her years.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2020: Won the Gary Jacobs Memorial at Red Bluff Outlaws in outlaw kart competition[1].
• 2020: Secured first career Open Outlaw Kart win at Roseburg Indoor with $500 prize[2].
• 2020: First outlaw kart win of the season[3].
• Approximately 2020-2021: At age 14, ran first sprint car race and earned first sprint car win at Douglas County Dirt Track[4].
• Competed in Sprint Car Challenge Tour events[5].
• Built successful YouTube channel documenting her racing career with weekly content[6].

INSPIRATIONS

Holmes credits much of her racing foundation to her family, particularly her brother Tanner, who races sprint cars nationally and has provided guidance, equipment, and opportunities through their family racing operation. The sibling dynamic at Tanner Holmes Racing has been a driving force—literally—in her development, with the two forming a brother-sister team that’s competed at major events including the Knoxville Nationals. Her father’s background in racing also influenced her path, giving her a multi-generational connection to the sport that runs deeper than just a weekend hobby.

REPUTATION

In the dirt racing community, Holmes has earned respect not just for being a young female driver, but for her ability to drive the wheels off a car and compete head-to-head with experienced male competitors. Her willingness to document the unglamorous parts of racing—the broken feet, the mechanical prep, the sponsorship hustle—has made her relatable to aspiring racers who see that success doesn’t come from talent alone. She’s known for being hands-on with her equipment, understanding that wrenching is as much a part of racing as driving. At tracks like Douglas County Dirt Track and Cottage Grove Speedway, she’s proven she can adapt to challenging conditions, including tracks that take rubber and require precise car control. Her YouTube presence has also positioned her as one of the more visible young women in sprint car racing, contributing to the broader movement of female athletes changing the landscape of motorsports.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Holmes’s 2025 schedule includes continued sprint car competition running the #22C and #18T cars as part of the Tanner Holmes Racing operation. While specific details of her individual schedule haven’t been fully outlined, the team has indicated an ambitious slate of racing between multiple sprint car entries. Looking toward 2026, the Holmes racing family is planning what they’ve described as a major national sprint car schedule with High Limit Racing and Buch Motorsports, though it’s primarily focused on Tanner’s driving opportunities. Carly’s path forward appears to involve balancing her own racing ambitions with the realities of funding, sponsorship, and finding competitive rides in an expensive and male-dominated sport.

REFERENCES

[1] Carly Holmes Wins the 2020 Gary Jacobs Memorial! – YouTube
[2] Carly’s First Career Open Outlaw Kart Win! ($500 PAYDAY) – YouTube
[3] Carly Wins Her First Outlaw Kart Race of 2020! – YouTube
[4] Carly Holmes FIRST SPRINT CAR WIN! (14 Years Old) – YouTube
[5] Carly Holmes – Driver Database
[6] WELCOME TO THE CARLY HOLMES YOUTUBE CHANNEL!
Who’s the Boss? Brother & Sister Team of Tanner & Carly Holmes
Carly’s First Sprint Car Race! – YouTube
Carly’s Incredible Freedom Cup Finale Run In The Sprint Car – YouTube
Driving The Wheels Off The 22C At Douglas County Dirt Track!
A Car Crushed My Feet At Full Speed… (BROKEN FOOT?) – YouTube
Carly Holmes and Tanner Jones’ Wedding Website – Zola
CARLY MERCH | TANNER.HOLMES
You Won’t Believe Our 2025 Schedule…. – YouTube
I’m Taking on a Full National Sprint Car Schedule in 2026 – YouTube
Lets Talk 2026! – YouTube
Carly Holmes – YouTube