🏁S.M.A.S.H Driver Spotlight: Ed Herman, Patient Enough to Learn and Tough Enough to Drive On

By S.M.A.S.H — May 31, 2026

Some drivers come to sim racing because they are looking for something new.

Others come to it because racing has already been part of their life, and they need a way to keep that fire alive.

Ed Herman fits that second group.

The driver of the #03 did not come into iRacing looking for a casual hobby. He came into it because racing had already been part of his world. After having to sell his real-life race car, Ed still needed that outlet. He still needed the competition. He still needed the adrenaline rush that only racing can give.

When asked how he got into iRacing, Ed kept it honest.

“Many drivers at our local tracks race on iRacing, and since having to sell my real-life car, I still needed that outlet and adrenaline rush, so I figured I would give it a try.”

That answer says a lot about who Ed is.

Racing was not something he simply found online.

It was already in him.

iRacing just gave him a new place to keep chasing it.

Background

Name: Ed Herman

Number: #03

Sim Racing Start: Approximately December 2025

Real-Life Job: Lead Laborer for Perma Column East

Ed is still fairly new to sim racing, having started around December of 2025, but his mindset already shows the kind of driver S.M.A.S.H was built to develop.

He is honest about where he is.

He knows he has work to do.

And he shows up each week trying to get better.

When asked what brought him to S.M.A.S.H, Ed said he first saw the league through a Facebook ad.

“I saw an ad on Facebook and watched some reels. I liked what I saw.”

That first impression was enough to get him interested, but what has kept him around is the way the league is organized and the way drivers are treated.

For Ed, S.M.A.S.H is not just another place to race.

It is a place where drivers are given a chance to improve.

The Approach

Ed describes his driving style as patient, but he is also honest enough to admit that patience does not always win the fight.

“Patient, but sometimes I do get overaggressive.”

That kind of honesty matters.

Every driver has a strength. Every driver has a weakness. The ones who improve are usually the ones willing to admit both.

For Ed, his biggest strength is communication.

“I’m easy to communicate with and work with.”

That is a major part of league racing.

Speed matters, but communication builds trust. Drivers who can talk things out, work with others, and understand the people around them usually become easier to race around. That kind of attitude helps the whole field.

At the same time, Ed knows what he is still working on.

“Not pushing the car past its capability.”

That is one of the hardest lessons in racing.

A driver can want more speed than the car is ready to give. A driver can feel like they need to make up time and end up overdriving the corner. A driver can push past the limit and turn a good run into a mistake.

Ed understands that line is where he has to keep improving.

That is part of the process.

Tracks That Fit the Style

Ed’s favorite track is Talladega.

That answer fits the way he talks about racing.

He likes the big tracks. He likes working with other drivers. He likes the teamwork that comes with drafting and pack racing.

“Talladega. I love the big tracks and being able to work with other drivers there.”

Talladega is not just about holding the throttle down.

It is about trust.

It is about timing.

It is about knowing who you can work with and when to make the right move.

That is why Ed enjoys it.

He likes the part of racing where drivers have to cooperate, communicate, and make decisions together while still racing for position.

When asked about the toughest type of track for him, Ed pointed to road courses.

“Probably any road course. I just prefer oval racing over road courses.”

That is another honest answer.

Some drivers love road racing. Some drivers never get comfortable with it. Ed knows where he is strongest, and he knows where the work still has to happen.

For now, oval racing is where he feels at home.

Career Highlights

Every driver has a moment that sticks with them.

For Ed, one of those moments came when he was asked to take part in the Challenger vs. East Coast Truck Series race.

“That would be when I was asked to race along in the Challenger vs. ECTS race. I didn’t do too well, but it was still memorable being asked to run that race.”

That is the kind of moment that matters for a developing driver.

It was not about the finish.

It was about being asked.

It was about being trusted enough to be part of that event.

Not every memorable racing moment has to be a win. Sometimes it is the opportunity itself that stays with a driver.

For Ed, that race gave him something to remember and something to build from.

Life Outside the Car

Outside of sim racing, Ed’s life is built around work, family, friends, and the hobbies that keep him connected to racing in different ways.

When asked what he does outside of racing, his answer was simple.

“Work and spend time with family and friends.”

His real-life job is Lead Laborer for Perma Column East, and away from work, racing is still a major part of his life.

Ed collects and races 1/64 diecast cars. He also has a large track and hosts races on the first Sunday of every month.

That says everything about how deep racing runs with him.

Even when he is not in a real car or on the sim, he is still around competition. He is still around race nights. He is still around the fun of lining cars up and seeing who can get to the finish first.

His hobbies also include riding motorcycles and going camping.

“Collecting and racing 1/64 diecast cars. We do have a large track and host races the first Sunday of every month. I also ride motorcycle and enjoy going camping.”

That gives a clear picture of Ed outside the sim.

Work.

Family.

Friends.

Racing.

And time spent enjoying life away from the screen.

Mindset

When asked what real race car he would want to drive, Ed gave an answer that connects both where he came from and what he still dreams about.

“I still love racing the front-wheel-drive four-cylinders, either on dirt or asphalt, but I believe a trophy truck is what would be the highlight of my life.”

That answer has two sides.

The front-wheel-drive four-cylinder side shows where his racing heart still lives. Those cars are raw, competitive, and tied to the local-track world he knows.

The trophy truck answer shows the dream.

Big power.

Big jumps.

Big commitment.

A completely different kind of racing challenge.

When asked if there are any drivers he models his style after, Ed did not name anyone else.

“I would like to think that I have my own unique way of driving.”

That matters.

Some drivers try to copy someone else. Ed wants to build his own identity behind the wheel.

He knows he is still learning.

He knows he is still developing.

But he wants his driving style to be his own.

S.M.A.S.H Perspective

When asked what makes S.M.A.S.H different from other leagues, Ed pointed directly to the organization and the way the league treats its drivers.

“The organization and willingness to help drivers in any way they can. Not just putting drivers down, but wanting them to succeed and better themselves. I haven’t seen that in many other leagues.”

That answer lines up with what S.M.A.S.H is trying to become.

This league is not just about filling a grid.

It is about building a group.

It is about giving drivers a place where they can compete, learn, improve, and still feel like they are part of something structured.

Ed sees that.

He sees a league that wants drivers to get better instead of just tearing them down when mistakes happen.

That is important.

Mistakes are part of racing. Development is part of racing. The difference is whether a league uses those moments to embarrass drivers or help them grow.

For Ed, S.M.A.S.H stands out because it chooses the second path.

Competition Level

Ed sees the competition inside S.M.A.S.H as strong.

He also sees it as something that forces him to raise his own standard.

“There are some really good and fast racers here. The competition is great, and it really raises the bar as far as what I’ll have to do to be a better driver myself. Love it.”

That is the right way to look at a competitive field.

Fast drivers should not scare developing drivers away. They should give them something to chase. They should show what is possible and force everyone else to keep improving.

Ed understands that.

He knows there are drivers in S.M.A.S.H who are already quick, already polished, and already capable of setting the pace. Instead of seeing that as a problem, he sees it as motivation.

That is how a driver gets better.

Not by running away from competition.

By learning from it.

Rivalries & Edge

When asked who the toughest driver is to race against, Ed did not name one single person.

He named the whole field.

“That would probably be each and every driver in here. Everyone is trying to do the best they can to get up that chain.”

That answer shows respect.

Every driver in the league is trying to climb. Every driver is trying to prove something. Every driver is trying to turn a better lap, make a better decision, and finish higher than they did the week before.

Ed understands that everyone around him is fighting their own battle.

When asked who he would trust drafting with late in a race, he did have one name.

“Kyle Giles. We’re both prior military and have that trust to build on.”

Drafting late in a race is about more than speed.

It is about trust.

It is about knowing the driver around you will hold the line, make smart choices, and understand the situation. Ed naming Kyle Giles says something about the confidence he has in him.

That kind of trust is earned.

Asked if he has ever rage quit a race, Ed gave a direct answer.

“Never. I don’t quit.”

That answer fits everything else about him.

Ed may get frustrated. He may get hard on himself. He may feel like he could have done better.

But he does not quit.

When asked if he is aggressive or calculated, Ed again answered honestly.

“Sometimes overly aggressive. That’s what hurts me at times.”

That is the kind of self-awareness that can turn into growth.

A driver who knows where he gets himself in trouble has a better chance of fixing it.

Ed is not pretending to be perfect.

He is trying to get better.

Payback and Perspective

When asked if there is one driver he owes payback to, Ed did not take the bait.

He gave one of the strongest answers in the spotlight.

“No driver deserves payback. No matter what the incident, there is always more than one side of the story, and life is way too short to dwell on getting even. Just pick up and drive on, buttercup.”

That is perspective.

Racing gets heated. Incidents happen. Drivers disagree. Tempers can rise when the car is damaged or a good finish gets taken away.

But Ed does not believe in carrying that into payback.

That matters.

A league racer has to know how to move on. Holding grudges does not make the racing better. It does not fix the mistake. It does not help the field.

Ed would rather pick up and keep going.

When asked who owes him an apology, Ed did not name another driver.

He named himself.

“That would be myself. I do get hard on myself, overthinking decisions and just wanting to push myself to be better. Not just as a driver, but for other drivers to respect me and want to look forward to racing with me like I do every week with this league.”

That may be the most honest answer of the entire spotlight.

A lot of drivers are harder on themselves than anyone else could ever be. They replay mistakes. They second-guess decisions. They carry frustration long after the race ends.

Ed wants to improve because he wants other drivers to respect him.

He wants people to look forward to racing around him.

That is the right goal.

Goals for the Season

Ed’s goals for the season are simple, honest, and exactly the kind of goals that fit a developing league driver.

“Make more friends than enemies, and be in the top 10 of the points.”

That answer says a lot.

He wants to compete.

He wants results.

He wants to climb the standings.

But he also understands that the people around him matter.

Making more friends than enemies is not just a funny line. In league racing, it is a real goal. Drivers build reputations every week. The way someone races, communicates, apologizes, learns, and improves all becomes part of how the field sees them.

Ed wants to be respected.

He wants to get better.

And he wants to finish the season as someone other drivers enjoy racing with.

Final Word

Ed Herman is still early in his iRacing journey, but the foundation is already there.

He came to iRacing because racing was already part of his life, and he needed a way to keep that competitive fire going after selling his real-life race car.

He found S.M.A.S.H through a Facebook ad, liked what he saw, and has since found a league that matches what he wants from sim racing.

Competition.

Organization.

Support.

And a chance to improve.

Ed knows he can be patient, but he also knows overaggression can hurt him. He knows he communicates well, but he also knows he has to keep learning how not to push the car past its limit.

That honesty matters.

His favorite track is Talladega because he enjoys big-track racing and working with other drivers. His toughest challenge is road courses because oval racing is where his heart is. His most memorable moment so far was being asked to run in the Challenger vs. East Coast Truck Series race.

Outside the sim, Ed works as a Lead Laborer for Perma Column East, spends time with family and friends, races and collects 1/64 diecast cars, rides motorcycles, and enjoys camping.

On track, he is still building.

Still learning.

Still chasing respect.

And still refusing to quit.

For Ed Herman, the goal is not just to become faster.

It is to become the kind of driver others want to race with.

That is what S.M.A.S.H is built around.

Integrity.

Respect.

Competition.

And drivers willing to keep showing up, keep learning, and keep driving on.