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Brent Sherman:
The Brent Sherman left the BAM Racing
Nextel Cup team in May and has not looked back. Like the legendary “He (crew chief Lee Leslie)
did everything basically in the last five days”, Asked about his pit crew and the rest
of the team he said, “They were all kinda doing their own thing, they were all with different teams, and they said they
all felt like we had some unfinished business to do in this series. They all really wanted to win and they thought that I
could possibly get it for them. I told them I could provide them some stability for the rest of the season and we were just
able to do it……… this whole program is all the same guys, there’s no one new here (from his previous
ARCA team) all the pit guys are the same.” Then laughing he stated, “I just had to beg……. And pay
a lot of money…… it’s the only way I got them here.” The camaraderie and respect between
driver and crew was evident in the relaxed confident atmosphere in the garage after qualifying. They went about their business
with the familiarity of old friends. The air of confidence was reinforced during the actual race with the ease in which the
driver and crew chief adjusted their car. After a strong start, the handling went away and Brent dropped back through the
field. The adjustments made during pit stops allowed him to quickly make his way back to the front for his 6th place finish.
The team again showcased its unity
in Pocono. Qualifying 14th they worked the car into an impressive 3rd place finish. Why “impressive” some might
ask? The newly reformed team has picked up two top ten finishes in only two races against many great ARCA teams---that have
not taken a hiatus and they have not had all 7 races to work the kinks out. The Serta team with five days of frenzied activity
performed virtually flawlessly in their first outing and improved in their latest. While other teams had the winter and first
part of the season to prepare cars for short tracks like Toledo and super speedways like Pocono with varying success, (as
shown by the mechanical failures at Pocono of several other top tier teams), the Serta team put together two cars with setups
about as far apart as they can possibly be in little over three weeks. If that is not impressive, what is? The way Sherman’s whole team
came back to him so quickly exhibits a rare strength of character that speaks to the loyalty they have for him. Their success
in such a short time span demonstrates the expertise of the members of the team and the leadership of the crew chief, as well
as Brent. Building good cars and adjusting them correctly cannot stand alone; someone also has to have the talent to drive
them to the front. It appears that the Serta Mattress Ford team of Sherman Racing has the right people in the right places.
While only time will tell, their first two efforts are a strong indication of better things to come. Fear the Phoenix. Questions, Comments; Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here |
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 2006 StockCar Review.
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