By Lisa Maguire
Kevin Sherman comes from a line of race car drivers who lived close to the Wiscasset Speedway. Sherman lived just seven miles from the track, and he was introduced to the sport at a young age. Both of Sherman’s grandfathers’ (Ken Sherman and Merle Grover) and father (Norm Sherman) were drivers at Wiscasset. Sherman’s cousin, Adam Chadbourne also races at Wiscasset. It is a family tradition.
Kevin Sherman recalled that both of his grandfathers and his father “were very good back in the day. For me, it was a matter of just waiting until I could drive.”
Kevin has raced in many divisions at Wiscasset Speedway. His debut season at Wiscasset was in 2004 in the Lightweight B Demons. That year he had fifteen top five finishes and nine feature wins. Sherman earned the The Light B Championship and had Rookie of the Year honors.
In 2005 Sherman jumped to Lightweight A Demons. He was division runner up and Rookie of the Year. He led the division with six feature wins.
In 2006 he moved up the Late Model Sportsman Division. He finished fourth in points to earn Rookie of the Year. Sherman also led the division with twelve top five finishes, and he tied with Steve Reny for most feature wins in the class.
Throughout the following six years, Sherman competed in many different divisions. He has won in every type of car he has raced. Complete stats are not available, but he has accumulated nearly forty wins in his career at Wiscasset.
The season of 2013 Sherman won in four different divisions. He had four first place finishes in 4 cylinder Prostocks. He placed in the top five eight times in the Thunder 4’s, three of those in first place, the most in the class. He had two Enduro wins, and one backwards race win. Last season he racked up over fifteen top five finishes.
Track promoter, Ken Minot, said, “Kevin is perhaps Wiscasset’s most versatile driver in the past decade. He simply wins in whatever you put him in, and he picks it up and learns quickly. That is the sign of a great driver. I’d put him right up there with some of the best all-around drivers I’ve seen in my time at Wiscasset.”
Sherman has found people along the way who have helped him. He does have a sponsorship from Norm’s Used Auto and Norm’s Truck Center. Through the years he recalls numerous mechanics at Norm’s Used Auto helping him with his cars. He also was grateful to Charlie Hunt. “Hunt came on with us as my crew chief when I raced late models. He is the kind of person you ‘click’ with. He did whatever he could for me without me even asking.”
When asked about his finishes on the track this season, Sherman replied, “I had a good season. Not one win sticks out in my mind. Every single time I’m on the track I want to have fun, I do it for the excitement and adrenaline rush- for the fun of it. I am not one to dwell on losses. It was a lot of fun. The trophies sitting in my case are not why I do it.”
Sherman said, “I remember racing an Enduro, and a fire extinguisher broke out of its straps upon being hit. The car filled with foamy smoke, so I stuck my head out of the window and continued to drive. But, they threw a red flag at me because they thought my car was on fire! It was a fun time!”
When asked what the percentages of his overall success was due to the car, the driver, and luck. Sherman replied, “You got to have a lot of luck out there. There are a lot of competitive and consistent cars on the track. You try to anticipate what the other drivers are going to do. Then, try to out think them and not overdrive. Luck is 75% of my success, my driving contributes about 5%, and the car is the remaining 20%.”
“As far as this racing season,” Sherman said, “I have not made any significant changes to my Thunder 4 race car, but it is ready to race.”
“Beyond that,” Sherman said, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I am a family man now. My girlfriend Erica is pregnant, and we have an eight month old. Her name is Nova. I am excited about being a dad.”
When wrapping up this interview, Sherman talked at length about how he would like to see teens and adults getting involved at the Wiscasset Speedway. “It is a great track. If you are a fan, and you want to be a part of it-just ask. People will help you. If you are young, you can start out volunteering. Get away from the computer and get involved!”