Notes & Quotes: Grand Prix of Long Beach

1st Sgt. Ben Holmes immigrated from Dunedin, New Zealand at age 12 in 1989 and grew up in Texas. In 1995, he joined the United States Marine Corps. His service included nearly four years as a Marine Corps drill instructor, six deployments, including two combat tours in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan, and concluded with his assignment as the I-MEF (First Marine Expeditionary Force) Inspector General Chief. Ben’s personal awards include two Purple Hearts and a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with ‘V Device’ denoting valor in combat. He retired in 2015, went back to school and earned Masters' degrees in education and history and taught in middle school (2016-2022). Now working at Turner Outdoorsman, Ben and his wife Diana live with their children in a specially adapted custom home in Escondido, Calif. We asked him a few questions...

What are your hobbies/interests?

BH: "Bugging my wife, hanging out with my dog Otis, and I’ve recently found competitive shooting."

Hanging out with Otis.

Where and when did you serve in the military?

BH: "Western Pacific (WestPac) Deployments in 1998 and 2001 with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). Six-month deployments to the Middle East and back on amphibious ships; Combat Deployments: Iraq 2003; Iraq 2004; Afghanistan 2010-11."

Holmes poses with his Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) in 2010 in Afghanistan. The baby camel is a bonus.

How did you become injured?

BH: "The vehicle I was commanding struck an IED (improvised explosive device) in April, 2011 and the blast broke my hip and shattered my ankle."

How many surgeries did you undergo and what was the length of your recovery (time spent in hospitals and in rehab centers)?

BH: "After a year of trying to save the right leg, surgery number 17 was an amputation below the knee in June of 2012. The amputation led to another nine months of rehab focused on learning to walk again."

What was the most difficult part of your journey?

BH: "The most difficult part of my journey has been trying to live up to who I was before 2011…or at least my perception of who I was. I have been blessed with an amazing support system which has largely mitigated the physical and day-to-day difficulties, but the realization that I’ll never be the same (and in my mind ‘as good’) as I used to be has, and continues to be, a struggle."

Despite his struggles, Ben found time to coach his son Kyle's football team in 2014.

Do you have any advice for other Veterans who may be struggling to adapt after suffering serious injury while serving?

BH: "My advice to others would be to surround yourself with those who love you and then accept their love and support when they offer it."

Ben with his children Chase (center) and Ashley in 2014.

Who are the heroes in your life?

BH: "It's funny how your understanding of a “Hero” changes over the course of your life; my Dad recently donated a kidney to a boy he didn’t know…that’s pretty damn Heroic! Fortunately for me, and although I didn’t know it at the time, I married my biggest hero in 1999."

Ben with his wife Diana, his "biggest hero" and their children (L-R: Chase, Kyle and Ashley) on the site of their new home which they received in 2021.

Please describe the impact on your life and that of your family of getting a specially adapted home from Homes For Our Troops. If already moved into your home, how has it changed your life?

BH: "Living in an adapted home from Homes For Our Troops has granted me a level of safety and independence that I had been missing for over a decade. As mentioned, it’s been a struggle coming to terms with the idea that I’m not who I used to be and every challenge, failure or shortcoming–no matter how insignificant–contributes to that struggle. My home has become a refuge which reduces the frequency and severity of challenges, failures and shortcomings."

Ben demonstrates one of the features of his home which are cabinets that are accessible when he needs to use his wheelchair, plus lower height counter tops.

What are you most looking forward to seeing/doing at the race this weekend?

BH: "We’ve never been to a race before and beyond the sights and sounds of a new experience, I’m really looking forward to seeing how the course is worked into the streets of Long Beach."

What are the top three things on your Bucket List?

BH: "After this weekend the two remaining items on my bucket list Top-3 are a visit to Iwo Jima and taking my family to see where I grew up in New Zealand." 

For more insight into Ben's life and to learn why he became a Marine (the reason may surprise), check out his page at HFOT.ORG.

A.J. Foyt Legacy, the long-awaited Volume Two of A.J. Foyt's epic biography which chronicles Foyt's life from 1978 to 2025, is ready for pre-order at Octane Press. Award-winning author Art Garner informs that the book is currently being printed and will be available in early July. Fans can sign up for pre-orders at octanepress.com.

CAIO COLLET will be making his first appearance in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, a track he has only seen on the simulator and on TV and computer screens. Collet's best run of the season in the No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet came on the streets of Arlington (where he finished 12th) so he is hopeful that the streets of Long Beach will be just as rewarding, if not more so. Caio is currently 20th in the standings and has been the top-finishing rookie in the past two races.

You went back to Brazil after Barber, how did you celebrate your 24th birthday?

CC: "I had dinner with family and friends, it was really nice." 

Since this will be your first time racing at Long Beach, how do you prepare for this weekend?

CC: "Preparation has been focused on maximizing track knowledge before getting there. I’ve spent a lot of time on the simulator, studying onboard videos, braking references, and understanding how the track evolves over a weekend. Long Beach is very technical for a street circuit, so being precise and building confidence session by session will be key."

As a rookie in a highly competitive field, how do you balance pushing for results versus focusing on learning during each race weekend?

CC: "It’s about being smart with the approach. Of course, you always want to be competitive, but as a rookie, every lap is valuable. I focus on building up progressively, understanding the car, how I can extract the maximum from it while still putting myself in a position to take opportunities when they come. It’s a balance between patience and knowing when to push." 

You’re part of a strong legacy of Brazilian drivers in IndyCar, how important is it for you to carry that tradition forward in your rookie season?

CC: "It means a lot. Brazil has such a strong history in IndyCar, and growing up watching those drivers definitely inspired me. To now be part of that group is something I’m very proud of. At the same time, I want to build my own path and represent my country the best way possible through my results and attitude on and off track."

What would define a successful weekend for you at Long Beach: results, consistency, or just gaining experience? 

CC: "I think it’s a combination of all three, but if I had to choose, consistency and execution are the priority. If we can have a clean weekend, keep improving every session, and be there fighting in the race, the result will come naturally."

Caio Collet Fast Facts: Age 24...Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil...Lives in Indianapolis, Indiana...In 2024-2025, he competed in the INDY NXT by Firestone Series, winning a total of four races, four poles and scored 15 podiums, ranked second in 2025 and 3rd in 2024 final standings...From 2021 to 2023, he competed in FIA Formula 3, won a total of three races, one pole and scored nine podiums with best rank of 8th in 2022...In 2019-20, he competed in Formula Renault Eurocup where he won five races (2020), three poles, 12 podiums to rank 2nd in standings ...Competed in French Formula 4 in 2018 and won the title along with seven races, three poles and posting 13 podiums... Began racing go-karts at age 7 and won multiple titles before moving to Europe...His father was a rally driver and Caio became interested in motorsports at age 4...Enjoys cycling, running, music from the 2000s and spending times with family and friends.

SANTINO FERRUCCI has two 11th place finishes in four starts at Long Beach but last year he drove starting from last (27th) after a problem in qualifying to finish 11th, quite the feat on a track with limited opportunities to pass. Currently he is 15th in the standings after starting seventh (best 2026 start to date) and finishing eighth at Barber Motorsports Park last month for his first top-10 of the season in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet.

Long Beach is such a tight and technical street circuit, what’s the biggest challenge you face there compared to other tracks?

SF: "Some of the biggest challenges in Long Beach are getting the brake zones correct. With them being so long and the track not having a lot of grip like other street circuits, it’s very easy to gain or lose time in that area."

How important is qualifying there, and how does it change your strategy going into the race?

SF: "Qualifying is crucial. Last year I got into the wall and we had to start last, and we only ended up 11th primarily because of strategy and pace. It would be much better to start in the front and stay up front at this track."

You’ve had some strong, aggressive drives on street circuits, how does the unique layout of Long Beach suit your driving style compared to other tracks?

SF: "This track in particular is good for me because I do well with 90° corners and big brake zones. We have been struggling a little bit this year under braking, but it seems like in Barber, we’ve started to sort that out a little bit. We still have a little bit of work there and some gains to be made, but overall, I’m very confident in what we can bring this weekend."

Long Beach is known for tight corners and limited overtaking spots, how do you balance patience versus taking risks early in the race?

 SF: "It’s very difficult to pass on almost all the street circuits. Long Beach is definitely no different. It's more about being patient for other people to make mistakes and capitalize on that, or try to run a slightly different strategy, save more fuel and pass them on the overcut."

This race has a lot of history, does racing at Long Beach feel different compared to newer venues?

SF: "I think Long Beach is awesome. I think the history there is incredible. Formula One used to race there back in the day. We now race with IMSA on the same weekend here like we do at one or two other tracks, I think that that just adds to the fun of Long Beach. The old layout I think was really, really cool because the cars would actually catch air coming down the hill, so definitely different than what we have today."

Ferrucci Fast Facts: Age 27...Born in Woodbury, CT...Lives in Dallas, Texas...Married Renay Moore in January, 2024...In 2025, earned career best finish of 2nd at Detroit Grand Prix and followed up with 3rd place finish at Road America for fourth consecutive top-5 finish...Earned 2024 NTT P1 Award at Portland, Ore. and posted 11 Top-10 finishes (career-best) to finish 9th in the NTT INDYCAR Series driver standings, his highest ranking to date. The Foyt team finished in the top-10 in the points standings for the first time since 2002... Scored career-best

finish to date with his 3rd place finish in the 2023 Indianapolis 500 to continue his string of consecutive top-10 finishes in the 500...Finished 13th in standings with fourth place finish in the 500...drove part-time in 2021-22 but maintained top-10 streak in Indy 500 with finishes of sixth (RLL Racing) and 10th (Dreyer Reinbold Racing...Competed part-time in NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021-22...moved to NTT INDYCAR Series fulltime in 2019 finishing 13th in standings for Dale Coyne and won Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after finishing seventh... Made his INDYCAR debut in Detroit in 2018...Competed in Formula 2000, British Formula 3, GP3 finishing third at Spa Francorchamps as a rookie, was development driver for Haas F1 team for three years (2016-2018), moved to Formula 2 in 2018...Began racing karts at age 5, moved to cars in 2013.

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be broadcast on FOX on Sunday, April 19 starting at 5:30 pm ET.