Former Funny Car racer Sherman dies

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Phil Burgess, NHRA.com
12/19/2007



Former Funny Car racer Ray "R.C." Sherman, who piloted a long line of entries including the Black Magic and Raybestos machines, died Dec. 18 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). He was 64.

Sherman and the ATI Black Magic teams were prolific match race contenders in the mid-1970s and were known for having a quick car that seldom broke, thanks to Bill Barrett's tune-up that relied on smaller engines and superchargers than the national event heavies yet was capable of competitive times. The team won several NHRA National Opens, IHRA national events, and many match races.

Sherman, of Frederick. Md., had been involved in auto racing since 1959, originally in sports car drag racing, then, with Len Cottrell of Chicken Chokers fame, stepped up to a gas-burning Corvette Funny Car in 1972.


In 1975, Jim Beattie, owner of ATI Transmissions, asked Sherman to pilot his Black Magic Vega, which had been driven by Al Segrini. The team campaigned through the 1977 season, when Sherman fielded his own Arrow Funny Car that eventually ran as the Dirt Shirt Express through 1982. In 1983, he earned corporate sponsorship from retail giant Kmart and fielded the Kmart Motorvator entry through 1985 and competed in 1986-88 with backing from Polaroid. In 1989, he began a long stint in the seat of Nick Boninfante's Raybestos entry. Although never a final-round contender in the NHRA series, the team did win an IHRA championship and stayed together through the 1993 season.

Sherman continued to compete infrequently in 1994, driving Paul Smith's school car and for Dan Richards before retiring.

He is survived by his wife, Ginger, and mother, Alise.

http://www.nhra.com/content/news/26010.htm