NASCAR Home Tracks

Sherman Wins Limaland’s 1st NASCAR Crown

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A first year NASCAR Whelen All-American Series driver says the 2011 season was the biggest of his 27-year racing career.

Todd Sherman, 47, of Churusbusco, Ind., won the 2011 K&N Modified division championship at Limaland Speedway, a .250-mile clay oval in Lima, Ohio. The track joined the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series this year.

“I told several people that I never wanted a track championship as badly as I wanted this one,” Sherman said. “I really wanted to win it. It’s our track’s inaugural NASCAR championship. That carries a lot of prestige. There’s the NASCAR and track point funds and contingency awards. This is absolutely by far my biggest season.”

Sherman won his third career Limaland track championship in a squeaker. Entering the final race night of the season, he and three-time Limaland champion Terry Hull were tied for the division’s point lead. Sherman won his heat and the feature race to win the title by 12 points over Hull.

The pressure packed situation was familiar to the duo. They finished the 2010 season tied in points; Sherman won that title in a tie breaker with more feature wins.

“Terry and I are friends and he’s a customer of mine. We’ve raced against each other for 25 years,” said Sherman, who operates teamSE.com Chassis and Parts. “My cousin, Tommy Beezley came over from Indiana to race at Limaland this year, and finished third in points. We all live within a few miles of each other. They call us ’The Hurrin’ Hoosiers.’”

Limaland’s 2011 season got off to a dismal start. The first seven race nights of the season were rained out. The track, operated by the University of Northwestern Ohio as part of its High Performance Motorsports Degree program, was able to get 11 race nights in the books. Sherman’s record in those events includes five wins, nine top fives and 11 top 10s.

Sherman had a change of crew chiefs during the season. Taking over the key position was his 15-year-old son Braden, who ended up winning Limaland’s Crew Chief of the Year Award.

“He works on the car in the pits and in the shop and he knows his stuff,” Sherman said. “My other son Brennan is in the grandstands with my wife Joyce. Brennan shoots video of our races.”

Other crew members include Neil Osborne and Steve Adams.

Sherman’s sponsors include Pro Shocks, Hypercoils, Fricker’s Restaurant, The Orchard Tree Restaurant, ProStrip, Stephens and Hall Racing Engines and teamSE.com Chassis.

As a longtime chassis builder, Sherman has received a few thank you notes from customers over the years. The notes impressed Sherman, and he’s been writing a few notes of his own in recent weeks.

“When I mailed my (2011 track championship) contingency certificates to receive their products," Sherman said, "I included a picture of my car so they could see their decal on it, and a thank you note, just to let them know I appreciate what they’re doing.”