Jim Hickman (driver)

Jim Hickman (May 9, 1943 - August 1, 1982), was an American racecar driver.

Born in Panama, Oklahoma, Hickman died in a qualifying accident at the second Milwaukee Mile race of the 1982 season, practicing for the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Wisconsin State Fair Park. Published reports indicated that CART observers and technical personnel determined that a stuck throttle was the cause of the accident. Driving a 1982 [March Engineering|March] -Cosworth for Hoffman racing and sponsored by Stroh's Beer, his racer slammed into the concrete wall in the first turn of the one-mile oval. It took safety officials about 15 minutes to pry the 39-year-old former Air Force fighter pilot out of the wreckage. He was pronounced dead about 12 hours later in a Milwaukee hospital. Dr. Steve Olvey, medical director for Championship Auto Racing Teams, said Hickman died of head injuries. Dr. Olvey said Hickman also suffered a broken arm in the crash. The accident occurred with less than five minutes remaining in the final practice session. Hickman was a driver in the 1982 CART Championship Car series and raced in 3 CART contests that year as well as the Indianapolis 500, which, that year, was not a CART event. He finished 3 of his 4 races in the top ten and was named Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, where he finished 7th. Hickman, owned a Nissan car dealership in Chamblee,(Atlanta) Ga., He was survived by his wife, Lynda, and two children.