Mechanics and crew members spend hours in garages in the lead up to events - hands and clothes covered in grease as they busily prepare for the next race.

The drivers behind the wheel are the ones who are in the spotlight, but it always takes a mammoth effort from the team to get the racer and car onto the starting grid.

Bendigo's Hickman Motorsport has just wrapped up its 2018/19 World Series Sprintcar season with the team taking out top honours.

"We're just a father son team with a few mates - racing against some of the best sprintcar drivers in the world," team chief Darren Hickman said.

Hickman Motorsport was named as the Best Presented Team and Darren was named as Crew Chief of the Year.

"All the crew chiefs had to vote on who they thought deserved it the most and to receive the award is an honour," Darren said.

"It's a great achievement."

Darren's son Rusty is the team's driver, with the 19-year-old finishing third out of the contracted drivers and fourth overall in his debut WSS season.

"Dad and I, we're just a couple of tree cutters from Bendigo who like to race cars," Rusty laughed.

"We do it for the fun of it, not for the money."

During the season Rusty went wheel-to-wheel with some of the world's best sprintcar racers, an experience he will never forget.

"It's good to give the higher up veteran racers a run for their money," Rusty said.

"But at the same time it's good to watch them and to be able to learn from them."

Born into a family of motor enthusiasts, Rusty plans to stay behind the wheel for many years to come.

"I know dad and the rest of the team are going to stick by me - which I am so grateful for," Rusty said.

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