JJ Hickle Set to Debut with Sandvig Motorsports During 71st Annual Knoxville Opener

Sandvig Motorsports is set to embark on the 2024 racing season with JJ Hickle behind the wheel of their 410 Sprint Car this weekend at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.

If Mother Nature plays nicely, Hickle will take part in a test and tune session on Friday at ‘The Sprint Car Capital of the World’, before kicking off the season on Saturday as part of their 71st Annual Pella Motors/Kraig Ford Season Opener.

“I went and put my seat in the car and got my belts fitted with Mike’s car and there’s nothing really left but to go and do it,” said Hickle. “It seems like I’ve just been watching it rain and be cold here lately, so hopefully we can get 2024 started together and I couldn’t be any more excited!”

While this will be the first scheduled event of the season for the Sandvig No. 7, Hickle already has several races under his belt as he’s competed in 410 Sprint Car competition for Cook Motorsports and 360 Sprint Car competition for Winged Down Racing.

While he’s grateful for the opportunity to stay sharp and compete for victories, he’s anxiously looking forward to the opportunity to pilot the Sandvig Motorsports Sprint Car and start gelling as a team. Tentatively, the team plans to race in close to 50 events this season at various tracks with different series.

“It’s great to go do these one-off deals and get opportunities to drive fast race cars, but I’m really looking for a home,” said Hickle. “I think we can do that with Mike’s team and I’m excited to just get going, learn, and be in a situation where we can be consistent and grow together throughout the year.”

Along with Hickle being new to the program, several sponsors have committed in support of Sandvig Motorsports 2024 racing season. Renown Earth Works, HPP Hertz Precision Parts, GRP Motorsports, Heartland Kitchen Solutions, Rider Racing Engines, Kaiser Wheels, DeBerg Flooring, Eszlinger Electric LLC, A+ Power Washing and Boji Custom Metal Works, and Powder Coating will all be on the car. Hickle and Sandvig are grateful for all the support in chasing their season goals.

“Everybody knows Sprint Car racing isn’t a cheap sport and I’m appreciative of everyone who has come on board to make this deal happen,” Hickle said. “Mike has a bunch of supporters who have been with him for a while and I’m just looking forward to putting my best foot forward and representing them well on and off the track.”

With a team that has shown the ability to win over the years, with an eye toward the future, Hickle believes the pairing can lead to success. While he understands it might take time to get going, he believes he’s in a situation to succeed and compete for wins out of the gate.

“As a driver, all you can do is go out and make the best laps you can and see what happens,” said Hickle. “This deal takes work and I think both myself and Mike know if we work together toward the same goals, we can be fast and compete for wins. It might be a bit much to say we’re going to go out and win the first night out, but I think end of the night on Saturday we can have a good base of where we stand and hopefully, we’re running up front.”

UP NEXT

Friday, April 19th (Test) and Saturday, April 20th, at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.