 | | Brent Sherman's car went sideways four times at Bristol. Credit: Autostock |
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
March 30, 2006
04:50 PM EST (21:50 GMT)
Six years spent tracking enemy aircraft all over creation for the United States Air Force has a distinct way of balancing a man's priority scale. Brent Sherman is walking proof. He knows about sacrifice and dogged mental fortitude, and is capable of maintaining buoyancy when life's waters turn choppy. Therefore he isn't altogether devastated by BAM Racing's decision to replace him in the No. 49 Dodge this weekend with veteran Jimmy Spencer. He's not doing cartwheels, mind you. But he's not suicidal, either. He understands there are potential positives. "If Jimmy does well we could get back into the top 35, so that will help me," Sherman said. "If he doesn't do very well, he may be able to let the team know where we need to improve. "Of course I don't like to miss races, but for some reason I think it will benefit me in the long run. Someway, somehow. Everything happens for a reason." A mature perspective, indeed. Many drivers of Sherman's experience level are emotionally incapable of prioritizing this type of setback. When you've not been around long, and folks are already skeptical of your rank, getting benched can be demoralizing. Not for Sherman. Not yet, anyway. And the extensive military background is only partly responsible. While in Daytona for Speedweeks, Sherman attended a Dodge Motorsports dinner function and spoke with Scott Riggs about the rigors of Cup Series life. Riggs warned him to avoid investing in the emotional rollercoaster, while stressing the importance of self-confidence. Sherman took heed. "He told me that it would be tough, and I guess he was right," Sherman said. "I know I can get the job done, I just need to make sure I remember that. Other people may question [my ability], but I know. "I also have to remember that a lot of factors are involved in running well. I have done a lot in seven years of racing. I have put myself in this situation every year I've raced, since the first year I raced. "That is the only reason I made it as far as I did. If you don't test yourself, how can you get better? I have no choice but to go faster and faster every time I am on the racetrack." When Sherman was announced as BAM's driver of choice for 2006, the industry let forth a collective "Do what?!" He'd only started 27 Busch Series races and never made a Cup start. But he did bring sponsorship dollars. And while he admits it wasn't a large sum, these days money not only talks, it screams. So BAM's motivation was obvious. But why would Sherman jump to Cup so quickly? Failure to succeed sometimes means starting all over again at the bottom. His reasoning speaks volumes about the current state of the NASCAR Busch Series. "The way things are going in the Busch Series, I feel like I am competing against the same drivers," Sherman said. "If I stayed in the Busch Series, I think it would be the same struggle. "Equipment is the most important thing, and everyone has good equipment. It's just what you do with it. I feel like if we can get a setup that I feel good with we can get better. "I have just struggled a little with telling the team what I need to be more comfortable in the car." Enter Spencer. Sherman is confident, though, that if he'd been given the opportunity to test Martinsville Speedway -- which, under NASCAR's new testing procedure he wasn't and isn't -- he'd be in the seat this weekend. "I am pretty sure I would have been in the car if we tested there," he said. "I think I could have done pretty well, actually. I think a test would have helped not only me, but the entire team. "All it takes is one tiny mistake and you are going home. The more laps you get at a track, the less chances for a mistake. I guess I will just have to wait until next time." Sherman will attend Martinsville with the team, and said he'll return to the No. 49 Dodge next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. After five races, BAM is 40th in the owner point standings. Therefore it must qualify for races via time-trial speeds until it secures a top-35 position. To date, Sherman's best finish is 21st, in the Daytona 500. That is also the only race in which he finished on the lead lap.  |  | | Brent Sherman is the lowest-ranked driver among those with five starts. Credit: Autostock |
| |
| Inside the Numbers |
| Rookie point standings |
| Pos. |
Driver |
Pts. |
Behind |
| 1. |
C. Bowyer |
52 |
-- |
| 2. |
D. Hamlin |
46 |
-6 |
| |
J.J. Yeley |
46 |
-6 |
| 4. |
M. Truex Jr. |
41 |
-11 |
| |
R. Sorenson |
41 |
-11 |
| 6. |
D. Stremme |
34 |
-18 |
| 7. |
B. Sherman |
30 |
-22 |
|
|
|
But aside from Bristol, where he received "four Welcome to Nextel Cup moments that stick out pretty well," Sherman hasn't been in the way. He's been respectful of his competitors. It's a difficult proving ground for anyone, but especially for a rookie driver at the wheel of a single-car operation. Not to mention a rookie driver with less personal experience and organizational depth than any of the other first-year drivers in the heralded 2006 rookie class, all of whom drive for well-funded, championship-caliber organizations. Compare Sherman to David Stremme, driver of Chip Ganassi's well-funded No. 40 Dodge. Stremme is but 21 points -- and just a single points position -- ahead of Sherman. Stremme ran the past two full seasons in the Busch Series, as well as 18 of 34 races in 2003. That's 60 more Busch Series starts than Sherman, plus four Cup Series starts in 2005. Essentially, Sherman left high school for MIT in the ninth grade. He's taking quantum physics with Will Hunting, a literal crash course. "It's hard, and I knew it would be hard coming in," Sherman said. "I feel like the team is being very fair. They are putting a lot into this program. The team has really stuck with me the first five races. "I think they will continue to back me once I get back in the car in Texas. I just really hope things work out for everyone. I hope everyone can learn a little something this weekend." Not unlike college, the Cup Series education is as much about life as it is about one's chosen trade. And when it comes to life's lessons, Sherman is way ahead of the game. The opinions expressed are solely of the writer. | 
