Competitive spirit still driving sprintcar great at 52

Kerry Madsen says his passion for the sport fuels his desire to improve and succeed every time he hits the race track.

The Australian-born, American-based driver, who still completes up to 70 shows in the United States each year, has built an enviable resume across a decorated career spanning more than three decades.

But he isn't one to look in the rear-view mirror.

"You don't think of that - you're always thinking of what's coming up, you're always thinking of the future," Madsen told The Standard.

"Some people can (look back) but I am the opposite. You're always thinking 'how can we be faster, how can we be better?'"

Madsen, 52, believes anyone regardless of age - be it a teenager or a veteran - can bank wins if they have the right ingredients.

"I don't really think age makes a difference at all, it's all about the dedication and commitment really," he said.

Two of Madsen's four national titles (2003 and 2016) were won at Allansford's Premier Speedway - the venue for the 2024 meeting.

He will contest the preliminary night on Friday, January 26 and the finale on Saturday, January 27.

The Sydney-raised driver will take confidence from his Flying Horse Bar and Brewery Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic showing where he finished seventh in a drama-filled 40-lap A-Main finale less than a week ago.

"I feel like we got a bit unlucky at the classic - we blew a motor on the prelim night but we had good speed and that gives me more confidence than anything because with time the track evolution changes," he said.

"So potentially what you did in 2016 (to win the Australian title) doesn't really carry over anyway. Every year is always different."

Madsen, who lives in Knoxville, Iowa, in sprintcars' heartland, savours his yearly visits home.

He is in the midst of a short, sharp campaign with Western Australian team Krikke Motorsports.

"I have only been back for a week-and-a-half and it's gone super quick and you always wish you had a bit more preparation for the bigger races like the title and the classic," Madsen said.

"But I have fit into the team at Krikke Motorsport pretty well."

Madsen, whose dad Joe now lives in Ballarat, spent up to two months in Australia each season prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"After COVID I didn't come back for two or three years, so coming back last year and this year has definitely made me appreciate the opportunity a lot more," he said.

"It's the little stuff (you miss), like when you go to a pub and get something to eat. It's the culture you miss - I know we think we don't have one but you miss it when you're not around it."

Madsen would love to race in his home state again too and is hopeful his next trip home will coincide with racing at the multi-million dollar Eastern Creek track in Sydney which is currently out of action.

"It is just crazy they have the new track up there and I haven't even seen it. It's pretty much five minutes away from where I grew up," he said.