Bendigo's Rusty Hickman enters Premier Speedway's season opener

A memorable moment from the 2023 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic saw Hickman walk across Allansford's Premier Speedway infield to confront a rival over a crash.

He's also forthright about the realities and challenges facing drivers and crews ahead of Premier Speedway's season-opener on Saturday, November 4, 2023 headlined by three former classic winners in Warrnambool's Jamie Veal, Portland's Brock Hallett and Queenslander Lochie McHugh.

The 23-year-old says greater incentives are needed for drivers as well as increased prize-money because he's concerned the sport could eventually die off without them.

While the 2024 Flying Horse Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic will see its winner's cheque increase from its usual $30,000 to $40,000, although it's down on the one-off $50,000 in 2023, wins at other meetings often fail to cover the cost of worn-out tyres.

Televising the sport is one option, Hickman said.

"I've just known from being in the pits and talking to drivers, even in America... at the end of the day, we're just not getting paid enough, we've got millions of dollars worth of race cars and we're racing for two-to-three grand," Hickman told The Standard.

"It's not really viable."

Speedway is in Hickman's blood, with dad Darren involved in the sport for nearly 40 years.

But love only sustains you for so long when you're a family-run team with Hickman grateful for the support from a number of sponsors.

"We've had the talk about how much longer we'd do it for, everyone's growing up and has families," he said.

"(But) the old man - he'd go mad if he didn't have something to tinker with in the shed."

Hickman, who debuted in a sprintcar at 16, understands the sport has its highs and lows.

One meeting you can be on top of the world and another it's an early end to the night. Sometimes one little hiccup can stuff you up, as was the case for Hickman at last season's Australian 360 title.

"I won two days of racing in a row and it came down to the last race, I was leading it for 38 laps and lost it with the last two to go... I hit a bump and unsettled the car," he said.

"That's probably the one demon you're always trying to fight - just trying to keep positive.

"It's pretty easy for everyone to say that but you've got to try throw it behind you, another week, another race, another day."

Ahead of Saturday, Hickman admitted the Allansford-based track was "a tricky one" to navigate - "she's either really hooked up or she's really slick and rubbered down".

Nevertheless, he will look to carry his winning form into the meeting, taking out round one of the Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria open series at Moama's Heartland Raceway on October 21.

"It is a roller-coaster sport - we could be really down this coming weekend but hopefully we can continue our speed we had a couple weekends ago," he said.

"It's always good to start off a season with a win, let alone get a win any time of the year.

"To start the season back in Australia, it's just good for the confidence, good for the crew... you hope to carry it onto the next couple of meetings."

Hickman spent just over a month racing in the United States throughout the winter months - it was his third trip stateside.

He remains level-headed about his results with the excursion's main aim to find form ahead of an Australian summer.

"Didn't go that good, just the competition level over there is next level and we're only going over there for a month, month-and-a-half," he said. "So if you think you're going to go over there and compete only driving for a month, you're sort of kidding yourself.

"It's just good to be in the seat, you keep race-fit - just the seat time and getting familiar with the cars is what helps.

"When you come home you're just not having to learn to drive again, you're still fresh."

Hickman, who is getting married in 2024, said he would pick and choose his races this summer, switching between 410 races and the 360 All Stars series.

"We'll do a little bit of 410s before Mandy Searle's 360 season starts up which is December I think," he said. "Keep in the car, keep fresh.

"We'll do the classic, it's the classic... the Aussie titles and get married in February."

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