After blowing a motor and parting ways with his American team last week Auckland Midget Veteran and 9-time Champion Michael Pickens found a new ride and victory lane as he stole the win from American rookie Jacob Denny at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, in Pevely, Missouri during the new Xtreme Outlaw Series.
Pickens announced in June he was to race the Shophouse Racing teams Spike Chassis Midget with a MOPAR SR-11x powerplant in 6 shows across 3 sanctioning bodies events. A later additional announcement stating that the current NZ Sprintcar Titleist would also get to run the teams Maxim Chassis, Kistler driven Sprint Car in World of Outlaws competition – The pinnacle of Sprint Car racing worldwide.
After a pair of 3rd place finishes in POWRi National Midget Series races Pickens then competed in the two-night BC39 USAC National Midget Car Series race on the quarter mile dirt oval built inside turn 3 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Night one had preliminary races and a ‘pursuit race’ format 25-Lap feature event where cars passed or running last after 5-Laps segments dropped out until the field is reduced to a winner or the laps run out. Pickens eliminated early when caught up in an accident.
Pickens started off grid 16 in the night two 39-Lap feature before making a mistake sending him to the rear of the field with bad turning to worse when the engine blew up.
Fellow Kiwi Travis Buckley and Ex-pat Jimi Quin also competing at this event named after 3-time Indianapolis 500 starter, USAC Champion and regular New Zealand visitor Bryan Clauson. Auckland teenager Buckley struggling in his heat and qualifier then putting in a good showing in his D-Main to finish 3rd and transfer to the back of the C-Main where his night ended. Quin unable to transfer out of his D-Main after a 7th place finish in his heat and 11th in his qualifying race.
Within days of the conclusion of the BC39 Pickens and Shophouse racing jointly announcing a parting of ways just days before the 2-Night World of Outlaws Sprintcar and Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series double header. Tulsa, Oklahoma based Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports team and Pickens doing a last-minute deal to fit Pickens in their #08$ Spike Chassis/Toyota by Speedway Motors for the event. The car a part of the team that provides cars for, 4th place in USAC National Series points, Canon McIntosh who finished 2nd in the BC39.
After starting the from row 3 in the 30-Lap night 1 Feature Pickens once again finished 3rd.
“Third sucks!” Said Pickens again after his third 3rd.
Night 2 at the high banked third of a mile dirt track was a different story after setting quick time in qualifying and a 2nd place finish in his heat gave him a starting spot on the outside of the front row alongside Chase McDermand. Pickens led the opening laps until McDermand snuck by with Denny then moving into second.
With 12 laps to go Denny and Pickens got past McDermand with Denny in the lead on the low line and Pickens searching the middle and high lines. After enduring several restarts and pressure from the swam of cars behind it was not until the last corner that Pickens made his move. Denny’s turn 2 exit slow enough to scrub speed on his final time through turns 3 & 4 with Pickens putting his car in the middle of the track and keeping his momentum to beat Denny over the line by little more than a car length.
The $5000 (USD) win his first in with the Xtreme Outlaws also making the 5th different winner for the new series.
“To be honest our car speed is a credit to the team. They were willing to change things around and make me comfy, what ever I needed, but to be honest I really didn’t need to tell them what to do.” Said Pickens of his win.
