The last time Brent Sherman raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series was two title sponsors ago and in his early thirties. Now approaching fifty years old, he is set to make his return when he runs the Chicago Street Race on 1 July in the #28 Ford Mustang for RSS Racing.
Sherman, who is from the Chicago area, raced in the Xfinity Series when it was known as the Busch Series from 2004 to 2007, doing part-time schedules until the final year when he ran all but three races and finished twenty-third in points. His best career finish was ninth at Talladega in 2005.
He also made sporadic Cup starts in 2006, which included running the Daytona 500, while his last national series action was in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2009 at Chicagoland Speedway, finishing sixteenth in his final start.
His career eventually went dormant since as he focused on family and business as the owner of a laundromat and commercial building. Sherman’s most recent start in any major stock car series was a one-off at Chicagoland in the now-ARCA Menards Series in 2016, where he placed ninth.
“I’m excited for this opportunity to race in front of so many family and friends in Chicago,” said Sherman. “When I started racing, I was 24, a little late to be embarking on a racing career. I moved quickly through the ranks, but sponsorship became harder to acquire. The last time I competed full time was in 2008, my kids were young, and I ultimately made the decision to step away to focus on raising my family and building my business.
“This opportunity just fell into place. When the street race was announced, I knew I wanted to explore the chance to get back in a race car. I can’t thank RSS Racing enough for the opportunity to compete in the #28. I know I’ll have some challenges with the temperature in Chicago during the summer months, but I’m up for the challenge and have been training to be prepared for it. I’m going to make the most out of this opportunity and compete with some of the best racers in the business. It’s going to be great to have my kids, who are now teenagers, see me compete in our hometown with other family and friends.”
A United States Air Force veteran, Sherman began his driving career after completing his service. In 2008, he contested the full season in what is now Indy NXT, finishing eleventh in the standings with a podium at Homestead.
RSS Racing’s #28 is primarily being driven by Kyle Sieg, whose family runs the team, though Alex Labbé has also made starts and Aric Almirola will do so this Saturday at Sonoma. The #28 is currently twenty-seventh in owner points with a best run of eleventh by Sieg at Charlotte.