Matt Sherman Racing 5s

Articles. . . .

Ace Hardware-Union Lumber brings Winged Sprinters to MRP Saturday.
Pro 4 Sprints, SuperStocks and MiniStocks also on card
By Bob Burbach

Marysville CA - April 8, 2010 - Point race #2 of the 2010 racing season will be brought to us by Marysville’s Ace Hardware-Union Lumber store. The mighty Winged Outlaw 360 Sprinters will headline the program with their new “Race for it” dual heat race program. Last week’s feature event winner and 3-time champion Colby Wiesz told this observer that he would return this week to try for two in a row. 4-time champion and championship point leader Korey Lovell will also be there in his familiar #71. The alcohol burning winged rockets will get their 2nd test of the new season.

Following last week’s events Sacramento’s Matt Sherman popped up 2nd in points (or will be as Justyn Cox is headed for Texas this week) just 8 markers behind Lovell. Sherman is a graduate of BCRA Midget Lite racing. While he has taken some rides in sprinters before, his performance in last week’s star-studded field got everyone’s attention.

Also expected is the brother act of Jeremy Phillips and Jamie Phillips. Both local drivers have been away from serious MRP point racing competition for a number of years. Jeremy is one of the most spectacular drivers ever to pound a pedal at MRP. Jeremy is a multi-time feature event winner with a fan-friendly “win it or wear it” attitude. Jeremy did not have a very good opening night finish. That should change this Saturday. Jamie, like Jeremy is a graduate of MRP Super Stock and Modified racing. Jamie has been a factor on several occasions but hasn’t quite found victory lane.

The winged Pro 4 Sprint Cars will open their season with the “Colusa Comet” Tim Maclaughlin looking for another title. The Pro 4 field this year will include last years Mini Stock champion Misty Castleberry. In addition, former MRP Mini Stock champion Joel Giusti will also strap into a Pro 4 sprinter. This observer talked to Richard Sinnott (Castleberry’s father) and confirmed that she will not only race a Pro 4 Sprinter, but also she will try to take the “Rookie of the Year” title and the series championship…AND she will compete for her 2nd MRP Mini Stock title at the same time! It is this observer’s understanding that Giusti will try the same thing. Giusti was the first of the Mini Stock stars to try his hand at Pro 4 racing and did very well last year. Wingless Sprint Car star Jeremy Hawes will saddle up on his ketchup and mustard colored 01 for this event.

Speaking of Mini Stocks, a full field of cars and stars in that class will be offered on Ace Hardware-Union Lumber Night. We’ll see if anyone has anything for 1st night winner Howard Law. Look for Jimmy Ford, Alan Furuta and Jason Clayton to make some noise in this one. How about Clayton’s great drive to the front last week!!! Giusti’s motor melt down last week was as tough to take, as it was spectacular. He’ll be in there swinging on Saturday.

The MRP Super Stocks will return after a thrilling finish on opening night. It looks like Jeff Olschowka, Ray Trimble, Cory Hall and Ryan McDaniel are going to be the driver’s to beat. This observer is hopeful that Josh Miller gets his cool new hot rod back on the track this week after that vicious hit last week in turn 2. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

The pit gate will open at 3PM. The grandstands will open at 5PM. Hot Lap sessions start at 6 with the first race scheduled to hit the track after hot laps at about 6:30.

The Contingency Connection weekly bonus amounting to some $1250 in contingency awards to sprint car feature winners is back for 2010. The way it works is that Contingency Connection has signed up over 200 sponsors nationwide (including Exxon/Mobil 1) who contribute products or merchandise each race to the winner. The only catch is that drivers must be sporting the decal of that sponsor to earn the bonus. If a driver who wins the MRP Winged or Wingless feature race has every decal on his car, he could receive some $1250 in products or merchandise. The bonus is a healthy addition to the weekly purses promoter Hawes already pays to the winner of MRP sprint car main events. You must be a member of the association to be eligible, but you can become a member at any event throughout the year for this bonus opportunity.

Matt Sherman to Drive #5s Midget Lite

It was a cold and rainy day in Sacramento, CA when I sat down to talk with Matt "Frankie" Sherman, but even the weather could not cloud this sixteen-year-olds' enthusiasm when he started to talk racing. Matt recalled the times spent behind the wheel of his Quarter Midget telling stories about the thrills that came while in the division. It all started when his father's friend allowed Matt to drive their team's Quarter Midget. He set an unofficial track record the first time out, and Matt and Frank became instantly hooked. As we continued talking I was shown many of the trophies and plaques that he had been awarded for point, and main event wins. After racing with the AQMA and CQMA for three years, Matt took a four-year break to concentrate on his schooling.

Matt's biggest supporter on his quest is his father Frank Sherman. Frank and Matt have both been attending the racetracks of Northern California since they were able to walk. Another interesting fact about the two is that Frank ran a Quarter Midget exactly twenty years prior to Matt's inaugural campaign. It was Frank that stepped out of the seat of his Micro Sprint to let Matt drive it this past year. Although it was tough not driving the car, the enjoyment of watching his son compete was well worth his personal sacrifice.

In 2004 Matt also solicited, and was awarded the available seat in an HPV3 Kart. He was only able to participate in half of the season’s scheduled events, but he still ended up fourth in the point standings capturing one main event win. The strong showing in this division inspired Matt, and Frank, to enter the Red Bull Driver Search held at Infineon Raceway. The three-day event attracted 112 drivers from the West Coast, all with the dream of becoming a Formula-1 driver. On the final day of competition, Matt qualified 15th out of the 23 drivers left. During the race he had worked his way up to sixth place, the final transfer spot to the National event, when he was spun out. Showing experience beyond his years, Matt regained his composure, and drove back up to tenth place. This is not the finish they were hoping for, but it was an invaluable learning experience that will only help Matt achieve his goal of becoming a professional sprint car driver.

Stepping into the seat of his father’s Micro Sprint for six races this past year, it seemed as if Matt had driven one for several seasons. In six races, Matt won a trophy dash and four main events. Realizing there is a great deal of potential in this kid, Matt Sherman Racing has purchased a 2003 A.R.T. with a Blackbird power plant in order to give Matt the chance to make the next step up the racing ladder. The team will run a full Bay Cities Racing Association Midget Lite schedule in 2005. This division should provide Matt with a lot of seat time, and a wealth of experience.

Matt has learned a great deal from racing the Micro Sprint and feels that running a Midget Lite will increase his chances of making a smooth transition into a full size Sprinter. Along with a full BCRA schedule, Matt will definitely be back to Infineon to improve on his performance in the Red Bull Driver Search. The ultimate goal for this third generation driver is to absorb these experiences and knowledge in order to become one of the “Mean 15” in the World of Outlaws.

By Michael Snelling.

Matt Sherman Makes an Impressive Midget Lite Debut

Placerville, CA, April 16: Placerville Speedway has now become a special track to Matt Sherman after he captured a tenth place finish in his first Non-Winged Midget Lite Race. Matt and crew arrived early on Saturday afternoon in order to claim the ideal parking space for their hauler, attend the rookie driver meeting, and to make sure everything was in order for the evening's events. For the 2005 season the team will be running a 2003 A.R.T./Blackbird with Sprinter Graphics on board as their title sponsor. The hopes are high for this young man, but he showed no signs of nervousness stating, "I am just curious as to how the track will be tonight and how this car will react without the wing on it."

When it was time for hot laps, Matt and car were more than ready to go racing. As his comfort level rose, and he became acquainted with his new machine, Matt began to raise his line around the track. The driver of the #5s was assigned an eighth place starting position for his heat race as he was faced with one of his first rookie challenges. There were a couple of incidents in the eight lap race that could have been detrimental to his finish if Matt had not been able to skillfully avoid the stalled cars. He didn't place as high as he would have hoped, but did qualify for the B Main.
There were eleven cars in this race and only seven transfer positions still available for the Main Event. Matt completed a pass in turn four of the final lap to reach 5th place in this intense ten-lap battle. Family and friends cheered ecstatically when they realized he had earned one of the twenty-two starting positions in the Main.

When the green flag waived to start the twenty-five lap feature, Matt dove to the inside line in turn one to pick up a position. He used this same line two laps later to move past another driver on the track. On lap nine he began to encounter lapped traffic and used these cars to his advantage. Matt made passes at each end of the track and found himself in twelfth place with ten laps remaining. Following a caution, Matt powered around the outside of two drivers in turn two to secure a tenth place finish. After receiving several congratulatory handshakes from his fellow competitors, Matt let out the first of many smiles that are sure to come following strong performances like the one on this evening. He took the time to comment, "That was awesome! We did better then we could imagine tonight and I really need to thank my Dad, Frank, for putting this ride together so I can be out here doing what I love."

By Michael Snelling.

Consistency is Sherman's Key to Success

Rookie driver Matt Sherman has reached the halfway point in the BCRA Midget Lite season, and has done so with impressive results. Entering the 2005 season, the team's goal to learn, and gain experience with their new A.R.T./Blackbird. Their learning curve has gone better then expected, as Matt has been able to adapt to the different tracks, and their changing conditions.

In the first ten races, 'Wormy' has displayed a level of maturity beyond his years both on, and off, of the track. In the first race of the season at Placerville, he started last and managed to avoid several spins in front of him to walk away with a top ten finish. Strong performances continued through the races at Santa Maria, Twin Cities Speedway, and Petaluma. Whether Matt has had the wing on his car, or not, he has been impressing people at every event.

Matt's consistency has been a key element in his development as a Sprint Car driver. His team realizes that the only way to get what they want out of a racing weekend is to be running when the race is finished. Although they have not scored a victory yet, they have recorded five top ten's, two top five's, and have failed to finish only one race. But don't worry, because you will soon see this kid in victory lane at a track near you.

Currently sitting in the sixth position in the point standings, the team is working like a troop of veterans in order to improve their position in the second half of the season. With return visits to the tracks that they have been successful at still on the schedule, they will be using this cohesiveness to improve on their strong initial performances. Matt is always eager to learn, and can be found between races consulting other drivers about racing lines, and about how to deal with situations that might arise during the race.

Along with the support of his father, Frank, Matt is definitely on the right path to fulfill his dreams of someday becoming a professional racecar driver. Matt summarized his thoughts on the first half of the season by saying, "This has been a great experience for our whole team. I need to thank Sprinter Graphics and Reed Block from Caldwell Banker for their help in making this all possible for me. We have had a good time while learning about the bigger cars, and feel that the second half of the season will be great to prepare us for the next step."

By Michael Snelling.

Matt "AKA Frankie" Sherman - Born Dec 15,1987 - Sacramento, California

Started Racing Quarter Midgets in 1997

Matt recalled the times spent behind the wheel of his Quarter Midget telling stories about the thrills that came while in the division. After racing with the AQMA and CQMA for three years, Matt took a four-year break to concentrate on his schooling.

2004 Stepping into the seat of his father's Micro Sprint for six races this past "2004" year, it seemed as if Matt had driven one for several seasons. In six races, Matt won a trophy dash and four main events.

In 2004 Matt also solicited, and was awarded the available seat in an HPV3 Kart Owned By Jeff Green and who would be Matt's team mate Mark Green son of Jeff. We thank them both for allowing Matt to gain some seat time in another form of racing to enhance Matt's driving skills further... Matt was only able to participate in half of the season's scheduled events, but he still ended up fourth in the point standings capturing one main event win. The strong showing in this division inspired Matt and Frank to enter the Red Bull Driver Search held at Infineon Raceway. The three-day event attracted 112 drivers from the West Coast, all with the dream of becoming a Formula-1 driver. On the final day of competition, Matt qualified 15th out of the 23 drivers left. During the race he had worked his way up to sixth place, the final transfer spot to the National event, when he was spun out. Showing experience beyond his years, Matt regained his composure, and drove back up to tenth place. This is not the finish they were hoping for, but it was an invaluable learning experience that will only help Matt achieve his goal of becoming a professional race car driver.

Realizing there is a great deal of potential in this kid, "Matt Sherman Racing" purchased a 2003 A.R.T. with a Blackbird power plant in order to give Matt the chance to make the next step up the racing ladder. The Matt Sherman racing team ran a full Bay Cities Racing Association Midget Lite schedule in 2005. This division provided Matt with a lot of seat time, and a wealth of experience. Matt has learned a great deal from racing the Micro Sprint and feels that running a Midget Lite will increase his chances of making a smooth transition into a full size Sprinter, along with a full BCRA schedule. The ultimate goal for this third generation driver is to absorb these experiences and knowledge in order to take his racing to the next level.