Pickens to take on World’s best at Chili Bowl

Pickens to take on World’s best at Chili Bowl

New Zealand Midget champion Michael Pickens will take on the best Midget car drivers in the world when he travels to what is promoted as the SuperBowl of Midget racing, the 26th annual Chili Bowl Nationals, which runs next week in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the USA.

Pickens, who currently leads the International Midget series held at Western Springs with one round remaining (having been postponed due to weather) as well as the Western Springs track championship driving the #1NZ BSL Racing/Auckland SsangYong Breka Esslinger, recently won two of the biggest midget events in New Zealand, the New Zealand Midget Championship and also the infamous World 50 Lapper held at Western Springs last week.

This will be Pickens’ fourth visit to the event, which runs indoors at the QuikTrip Centre on a track that is constructed every year specifically for the event. Last year, he finished third behind the father and son duo of Sammy and Kevin Swindell, who between them have seven wins at the infamous event. This year he will drive the same Loyet Motorsport car as last year as part of a six car team and the 29-year old Aucklander will be looking to go two better.

Pickens is one of the few drivers in the field with a prestigious record at the event that has seen him qualify for the final 50-lap A-main that decides the champion every time he has contested the event. This year Pickens will be one of 262 competitors that will qualify across four nights with the aim of making the final 24 car field to line up for the winner takes all final. Amongst his 261 competitors will be fellow countryman Brad Mosen, as well as competitors from Finland, Canada, Australia and 31 States around America.

After practise on Monday 9 January local time, Pickens will be part of the opening qualifying night on Tuesday night and will come up against competition from Jerry Coons Jr, with whom he has had many battles at Western Springs over the last few seasons, and Kyle Larson, who was his BSL Racing team-mate throughout this season’s International series at Western Springs.

For more information on the event, check out chilibowl.com or for live audio coverage, racinboysradio.com
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