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Pickens Takes Out NZ Midget Grand Prix Title
Ruapuna Powerbuilt Speedway - March 27, 2008 By Gavin Searle - Auckland driver, Michael Pickens dominated the New Zealand Midgetcar Grand Prix, raced at Ruapuna Powerbuilt Speedway on Thursday evening. The 25 year old took out the GP Feature, set a new ten lap record, set the fastest time of the meeting and was joint top points scorer in his qualifying group and will go into Saturday's Southern 50 Lap event, at Ruapuna, as red hot favourite.
Pickens collected his first Grand Prix title, leading for most of the 30 laps after having a great battle with Shayne Alach on the opening laps with the lead swapping several times before Pickens opened up a lead. Alach then has a close dice with follow Aucklander, Scott Buckley for the first half of the race before Alach was passed by Michael Kendall.
With Pickens holding the lead on the slick racing surface his rivals had try and drive around the outside but Pickens car, borrowed from local driver Aaron Webb, always had the measure on his rivals. Buckley looked to be heading for a deserved second place until he rolled his car was five laps remaining restarting the race for the rear of the field and eventually finishing eighth.
This left Kendall holding second place behind Pickens at the restart but Kendall was passed by New Zealand champion, Shaun Insley (Auckland) during the next lap with Kendall having to settle for third place overall, from Bill Clarkson and Bryce Townsend, both Auckland, with Ray Baughan the first local drive home in sixth place.
Earlier in the evening Kendall shattered the 15 lap race record by over seven seconds but this mark was short lived at Pickens lowered the record by another two seconds when winning his second qualifying heat. Pickens followed Buckley and Alach home in his first heat, setting the fastest lap time of the meeting of 14.34 seconds, which was just over 0.1 of a second outside the lap record held by Pickens.
Race Results (Competitor from Christchurch Unless Stated) - 27 March 2008
Midgetcars
Metalcraft 21st New Zealand Grand Prix
Qualiflying
Group 1
Ht 1. Scott Buckley (Auck) 1, Shayne Alach (Auck) 2, Michael Pickens (Auck) 3.
Ht 2. Pickens 1, Alach 2, Nevil Basalij (Nelson) 3.
Points: Pickens 20, Alach 20, Buckley 18, Basalij 16, Bill Clarkson (Auck) 16, Scott Millar 12, Gary Robinson 10, Gavin Wilkie (Dunedin) 8.
Group 2
Ht 1. Michael Kendall (Auck) 1, David Kerr 2, Alvin Cobb (Auck) 3.
Ht 2. Shaun Insley (Auck) 1, Bryce Townsend (Auck) 2, Kerr 3.
Points: Insley 18, Kerr 18, Kendall 17, Cobb 16, Carl Warboys (Auck) 15, Townsend 13, Ray Baughan 10, Steve McCullum 6, Graham Sharp 6, Simon Longdill 5, Barry Sommerville 4.
Pole Shuffle. Alach 1, Kerr 2, Pickens 3, Kendall 4, Insley 5, Buckley 6, Cobb 7, Clarkson 8.
NZ Grand Prix - 30 Laps. Pickens 1, Insley 2, Kendall 3, Bill Clarkson 4, Townsend 5, Baughan 6, Wilkie 7.
Ruapuna Powerbuilt Speedway - March 27, 2008 By Gavin Searle - Auckland driver, Michael Pickens dominated the New Zealand Midgetcar Grand Prix, raced at Ruapuna Powerbuilt Speedway on Thursday evening. The 25 year old took out the GP Feature, set a new ten lap record, set the fastest time of the meeting and was joint top points scorer in his qualifying group and will go into Saturday's Southern 50 Lap event, at Ruapuna, as red hot favourite.
Pickens collected his first Grand Prix title, leading for most of the 30 laps after having a great battle with Shayne Alach on the opening laps with the lead swapping several times before Pickens opened up a lead. Alach then has a close dice with follow Aucklander, Scott Buckley for the first half of the race before Alach was passed by Michael Kendall.
With Pickens holding the lead on the slick racing surface his rivals had try and drive around the outside but Pickens car, borrowed from local driver Aaron Webb, always had the measure on his rivals. Buckley looked to be heading for a deserved second place until he rolled his car was five laps remaining restarting the race for the rear of the field and eventually finishing eighth.
This left Kendall holding second place behind Pickens at the restart but Kendall was passed by New Zealand champion, Shaun Insley (Auckland) during the next lap with Kendall having to settle for third place overall, from Bill Clarkson and Bryce Townsend, both Auckland, with Ray Baughan the first local drive home in sixth place.
Earlier in the evening Kendall shattered the 15 lap race record by over seven seconds but this mark was short lived at Pickens lowered the record by another two seconds when winning his second qualifying heat. Pickens followed Buckley and Alach home in his first heat, setting the fastest lap time of the meeting of 14.34 seconds, which was just over 0.1 of a second outside the lap record held by Pickens.
Race Results (Competitor from Christchurch Unless Stated) - 27 March 2008
Midgetcars
Metalcraft 21st New Zealand Grand Prix
Qualiflying
Group 1
Ht 1. Scott Buckley (Auck) 1, Shayne Alach (Auck) 2, Michael Pickens (Auck) 3.
Ht 2. Pickens 1, Alach 2, Nevil Basalij (Nelson) 3.
Points: Pickens 20, Alach 20, Buckley 18, Basalij 16, Bill Clarkson (Auck) 16, Scott Millar 12, Gary Robinson 10, Gavin Wilkie (Dunedin) 8.
Group 2
Ht 1. Michael Kendall (Auck) 1, David Kerr 2, Alvin Cobb (Auck) 3.
Ht 2. Shaun Insley (Auck) 1, Bryce Townsend (Auck) 2, Kerr 3.
Points: Insley 18, Kerr 18, Kendall 17, Cobb 16, Carl Warboys (Auck) 15, Townsend 13, Ray Baughan 10, Steve McCullum 6, Graham Sharp 6, Simon Longdill 5, Barry Sommerville 4.
Pole Shuffle. Alach 1, Kerr 2, Pickens 3, Kendall 4, Insley 5, Buckley 6, Cobb 7, Clarkson 8.
NZ Grand Prix - 30 Laps. Pickens 1, Insley 2, Kendall 3, Bill Clarkson 4, Townsend 5, Baughan 6, Wilkie 7.