Trey Rickman grins when he thinks about the response he gets after telling friends he drives race cars. He”s just 14 — not old enough for a driver”s license.
“Most of them don”t really believe me,” he said, standing not far from his stock car. “But I tell them to come watch.”
Rickman is the youngest of three generations of local racers who will compete tonight in the P.R.O. Dirt Car Series Super Late Model tour event at the Columbus Speedway. His father, Rick, has raced for 25 years. Uncle Brian has competed since about 1990. Eddie is the founder of Rickman Racing, the family hobby he started in 1968.
They are weekend race warriors — make that week-day, too. After a long day of operating the family trucking business, they return home, kiss their wives, grab a bite to eat and head to the garage, a large industrial-sized shed complete with racing trophies and motors, sheet metal and wrenches — enough machinery to put most man caves to shame.
More than four decades of dirt track experience has transformed the family into one of the most notable in the area. Tonight, they will compete in a program that includes the PRO Dirt Car Series Super Late Models, the NeSmith Weekly Racing Series Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, and the Street Stock division.
“We”re here every night. Every day, we see each other,” Eddie Rickman, 61, said. “I could be a a zillionaire had I not raced my whole life, but that wouldn”t have been no fun.”
His oldest son agreed.
“As far as what we spend in a year, putting a pencil to it, I can”t answer that,” Rick Rickman said. “It”s probably more than what I”d want to know.”
To get to the family”s shed, turn on the narrow gravel road that winds past the house on the right. Continue straight, past the kid-sized swimming pool on the left, park near the dozen or so tires resting on concrete and the retired racing cars that serve as reminders of past crashes — like the time Rick hit a lapped car at a track outside of Lexington, Ky. When the roof of his car hit the wall, it threw him back down on the wheel, which hurt worse than many of the barrel rolls he has experienced.
“I had bruises on my shoulder from the seat belt and I bit my tongue; I think it scared everybody worse than me because when they got to me I had blood running out my mouth,” he said.
On this night, the family, several friends, and race sponsors are watching them examine three of the cars they will race this weekend, their exteriors painted in Rickman Racing”s signature blue and yellow.
Dirt racing offers its set of challenges as drivers constantly adjust their tires and adapt to changing surfaces.
“You rub and bump and scrub and you got to learn how not to wreck when you”re rubbing and bumping,” said Eddie, who is semi-retired from racing. “It”s just a challenge and a lot of respect with who you”re racing with.”
In the back of the garage to the right is Rick”s car from last season. Trey, still a racing novice — he has competed sporadically for three years in different divisions — is learning how to operate bigger cars, a transformation that”s equal to switching from a go-cart to a corvette.
At first, Trey thought he could drive like he did in lower divisions, “go hit the gas” all the way around the track. Then he learned that with the bigger, faster cars, you can”t hammer it all the way around if you want to finish the race without crashing.
“It”s challenging, doing everything at one time,” he said. “Your feet and your hands and … and thinking.”
Said Brian, “He”ll be OK when he gets some more seat time.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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