Shari Minter raced in the NASCAR Sportsman Division from 1991-1996.  The NASCAR Igloo Sportsman Division was established to give short track drivers an opportunity to gain superspeedway experience.  The races were conducted only at tracks 1-1/2 miles and larger.  Most of the races were held at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Pocono International Raceway, with Nashville and Lakeland added just prior to the series cancellation.

Shari began her driver training in 1988 as a student at Buck Baker Racing School.  Two (2) weeks after completing the class at Rockingham, Buck contacted Shari and offered her a position as one of his instructors.  She moved from Richmond, VA to the Charlotte area and worked for the school for 4 years.  In 1992, she was given the opportunity to concentrate on her own driving career full-time, with the help of her car owner, Steve Strader and his family. 

Strader hired Tommy Johnson, a well known NASCAR Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) crew member and crew chief to manage the team.  Shari began the hard quest for a sponsor.  Her first one race sponsorship deal came with Piedmont Distribution Center based in Charlotte, NC.  Strader Contractors sponsored her for several races with the continued support of her car owner.  The first big break came when she landed Kerr Drug Stores as a corporate sponsor in 1993 for 5 races at Charlotte.  With this additional funding, the team was able to add and upgrade equipment resulting in three (3) consecutive poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 1994. 

In 1995, Thrift Drug sponsored Shari for both races at Pocono Raceway along with Linebacker Lounge, a well known restaurant across from the University of Notre Dame.  Shari's Sportsman Division statistics include a total of four (4) poles, three (3) Top 5 finishes, and four (4) Top 10's.

Shari Minter, Car #61 and Marty Ward, Car #97 racing for the lead at Charlotte