KERRY Madsen is no stranger to the Premier Speedway circuit.
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The American-based Sydneysider is in Warrnambool for the first of two lead-up races at the Allansford track ahead of the prestigious Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic in January.
Madsen will roll out in his Australian number one car for Max’s Race – an initiative honouring driver Max Dumesny’s impact on the sport – on Saturday night.
He has also committed to the New Year’s Day World Series Sprintcars round, which runs in conjunction with Speedweek.
A flying visit to the United States will precede his quest for a fourth Grand Annual title.
“It does take the pressure off because you’ve won it. Your name is down in the book so it’s not as frustrating if you don’t win,” Madsen said.
“It seems to get tougher every year. Every time you have a high number of cars, they’re hard to win.
“Anything can happen. You say you want to win those things but there are so many steps to go before you can even worry about it.”
“Especially when there’s such a big car count, you can’t get ahead of yourself.
“You want to get out, get some points and get in the A-Main. Once you’re in the A-Main then you can go for it.
“There’s going to be 100 cars and one little hiccup and you’re going to be scrambling, so just take it as it comes.”
The American Racing driver will be one of the SRA Series’ drawcards on Saturday.
“You just want to get some laps but if the car is rolling well and you’re in a good position, you want to get the win,” he said.
Madsen enjoyed a chance to immerse himself in Warrnambool’s restaurant scene after arriving on Thursday.
“I have never been here this early in the year, it’s always around Classic time, so I am enjoying it being a little bit quieter than it usually is,” he said.