Exciting Start for Smith, Holigan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While things didn’t end quite the way he had hoped, Michael Holigan did enjoy watching a tremendous start to his #50 Enzyte NASCAR Busch Series team’s relationship with young driver Regan Smith.

Smith, whose 24th starting position was the best in the young team’s history, parlayed into a strong top-20 run in the Federated Auto Parts 300 Saturday night at the 1.33-mile Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

“Regan did a great job. We were in the top 20 quickly and there much of the first half of the race,” said Holigan, who formed Holigan Racing at the beginning of this season.

“For us, the race didn’t end as well as we had hoped but that is the most excited I have seen our race team. They saw some great things happening and saw potential unfolding,” he added.

The 20-year-old Smith, who already has an outside pole position to his credit this season, was involved in an accident on the 83rd lap of the 225-lap event but was running 19th at the time. A strange night all the way around, the race was plagued by rain and threats of rain, and stopped and restarted before ending well after midnight Central time.

“It showed this Enzyte team is capable right now of running consistently in the top 20. I really believed we were looking at at least a top-15 finish,” Holigan said. “As strange as the night was for every Busch team, who knows how things could have come out?”

Now Smith and crew chief Todd Myers lead the team as they move to the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway, site of Saturday night’s Meijer 300.

“It’s a wide fast track that fits with Regan’s style. His smoothness with the car is going to fit well with Kentucky, and we’re looking for another great night,” Holigan said.