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LATEMODELRACER >> DRIVER PRESS RELEASES >> Riley Hickman Ready to take on Spring Nationals Series Foes
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Message started by LMR on 05/20/15 at 4:47pm

Title: Riley Hickman Ready to take on Spring Nationals Series Foes
Post by LMR on 05/20/15 at 4:47pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2015
________________________________________

Riley Hickman Ready to take on Spring Nationals Series Foes at Boyd's Speedway

by Chris Tilley, Series P.R. Coordinator
RINGGOLD, GA (May 18, 2015)-Riley Hickman is anxiously awaiting the return of the Old Man's Garage Spring Nationals Series by Schaeffer's Oil to Boyd's Speedway.

The 36-year-old from nearby Cleveland, Tenn. has already won at the Ringgold, Ga. oval that sits on the Tennessee/Georgia border this season.

Hickman claimed the $3,000 top prize during the track's unsanctioned 'Cabin Fever 40' event on January 31st besting a field of 48 entries for the victory. This was Hickman's second-straight victory as he claimed the 2014 edition of the annual event which was an emotional victory shortly after losing his father.

"Winning the Cabin Fever race meant a lot. Anytime you can win at home it's just a cool deal, just to race in front of family and friends that might not be able to travel. I enjoy doing that around home when I can," recalled Hickman.

The two-time Southern Allstar and former Southern Regional Racing Series champ has already put his car in the win column this season with two steel head, two crate late model and one super late model victory.

Hickman's variety of engine packages allows him to race more. One night he might compete in a super late model event and a crate late model event or race a steel head late model in another event. Hickman feels this helps his program immensely. "There's not much super late model racing around home on a weekly basis anymore. It's smart for us to run the steel head late model a lot or the crate when we can. It helps us try different things and we use that as a testing ground for our super late model program," stated Hickman. "We may struggle a bit but we come out to the good."

The steel head program seems to be the more cost-effective program in Hickman's point of view, but seat time behind any engine package is top priority for Hickman and his team "The steel head is cheaper than the super late model. The crate, or steel head and SPEC is more feasible for us and allows us to race as much as we do when we're not running the super," Hickman said. "But you can't put a price on track time."

Hickman's work schedule also doesn't allow him to race nationally but a good regional schedule is within reach for him. "Urkel (Brad Carvin-crew chief) comes in on Wednesday and stays through the weekend and we try and make the best with what we've got," Hickman went on to say. "We're blessed with race tracks around us. I hear these guys who live three and four hours away complain about travel and within three hours of us we have about ten race tracks and we're just blessed with not having to travel too far to race," Hickman pointed out. "We pick and choose the ones that benefit us the most. We look at the financial end but most of all weather when it comes to picking events and that plays a big part in the decisions we make. I run it like a business if I can," said Hickman.

Hickman now operates the family business, Hickman Manufacturing which is located about a mile from Cleveland (Tenn.) Speedway and only 18 miles from Boyd's Speedway. Riley's father, who passed away before the start of the 2014 season, along with Riley's mother built the business over 32 years ago and now with his father gone, Hickman's job has gotten tougher. "There's more on my plate now that dad's gone. It's been an eye opener and it's a lot different having to run a business," Hickman stated.

Hickman has utilized a couple of different chassis brands lately but crashed a newer car during a Carolina Clash-sanctioned race a few weeks ago at Cherokee (SC) Speedway. "We took Ricky Tucker's Club 29 car over there and crashed it but we're trying to get it back together this week," Hickman said. Riley has a close relationship with Tucker, who formerly operated the Southern Regional Racing Series (SRRS), in which Hickman is a former champion. Tucker also sponsors Hickman's familiar # R1 with Tucker's Mobile Home Service. "We have a good friendship, ever since SRRS. He lent me a motor to run the UCRA (crate) race at North Georgia and we won in that. He's always been good to me and other racers too," Hickman said.

When talking about the state of the sport and the rising cost of super late model racing, Hickman quickly pointed out that the better the purse, the more lucrative it is to go and run. "You can't afford to race a super late model for under a $3,000-to-win purse, it just costs so much, but anything more than that is an added bonus," Hickman said. "I'm not trying to keep up with the Jones' here," Hickman stated jokingly. "But we run all the races as hard and economically smart as possible."

Hickman is looking forward to heading back to Boyd's Speedway this Friday, having not ran there since the Southern Nationals Bonus Series race on March 21. "Randy (Weaver) whipped us pretty bad. We haven't run anything over there since then but weather has been a big factor. I'm anxious and look forward to going back there. I feel we're halfway competitive over there too," Hickman said. "Plus it's where I won my first race, so that means a lot."

Boyd's Speedway is the first night of the final three Spring Nationals Series point races. On Friday May 22nd at Boyd's Speedway it will be a 40-lap $4,000-to-win race followed by another 40-lap $4,000-to-win race on Saturday Night May 23rd at Dixie (Ga.) Speedway then the 50-lap $6,000-to-win point finale on Sunday night May 24th at Rome (Ga.) Speedway.

Further information on Boyd's Speedway can be obtained by visiting www.BoydsSpeedway.net.

Further information on the Spring Nationals, Southern Nationals and Southern Nationals Bonus Series can be obtained by calling Promoter Ray Cook at (828) 360-5353 or Series P.R. Coordinator Chris Tilley at (606) 219-1723 or visit the official website located at www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com