Header Image: Michael Pickens (Facebook)
Ten-time New Zealand Midget champion Michael Pickens has opened his 2026 Chili Bowl campaign with a commendable tenth-placed finish in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions at the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Competing in his 13th Chili Bowl, Pickens is driving for RMS Racing this season and was one of 23 drivers invited to contest the prestigious Race of Champions, which traditionally launches race week.
The invitational field featured some of the biggest names in dirt racing, including Speedway Hall of Famer Sammy Swindell, two-time Chili Bowl champion and current 3NZ Logan Seavey, two-time Australian Speedcar champion and reigning 2NZ Kaidon Brown, and 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, himself a three-time Chili Bowl winner.
Current 1NZ Michael ‘Buddy’ Kofoid was also invited but withdrew through illness, reducing the 24-car field to 23.
Pickens showed strong one-lap speed in qualifying, recording an 11.696-second lap around the 1/5-mile (0.32km) oval, placing fifth quickest overall and just 0.014 seconds shy of Shane Golobic, a podium finisher in the 2025 Chili Bowl A-Main.
Three-time Chili Bowl champion and NASCAR star Christopher Bell secured pole position with an 11.638-second effort, with positions one through seven separated by less than a tenth of a second.
Once racing began, Bell was untouchable, leading all 25 laps to claim his fourth Race of Champions victory and his first as an owner-driver.
A Lap 7 caution for Corey Day had little impact, with Golobic and 2023 winner Spencer Bayston unable to mount a serious challenge.
Bell stretched his advantage to as much as 2.5 seconds before lapped traffic closed the margin, eventually taking the win by four-tenths. Seavey finished third ahead of Sprintcar star Ryan Timms, while Bayston was relegated to fifth.
Pickens, meanwhile, was left to recover from a difficult opening lap, but found good speed on his way to a top ten result.
“Unfortunately, got a bad start and dropped back a bit but had good speed finishing 10th,” he posted on social media.
“Super stout field so was good to pace ourselves against some of the best guys in the building!”
Pickens now faces a quick turnaround, with his Chili Bowl qualifying night scheduled for Tuesday (local time), a program that is shaping as the deepest of the week.
The top five finishers from last year’s chaotic Tuesday preliminary all return, with the likes of Jett Barnes, Darin Naida, Austin Wood, Sye Lynch, Chance Morton, Chase Randall, Clinton Boyles, Kris Carroll, Ricky Thornton Jr., Parker Price-Miller, Kalib Henry, Kyle Beilman, Ty Gibbs, and Sheldon Creed also seen as ones to watch.
Pickens is not the only Kiwi in action, with Trent Way and Ben Covich also entered in the more-than-400-car field. All three New Zealanders are slated to compete on Tuesday’s Warren CAT Qualifying Night.
The 2026 Chili Bowl can be watched live on FloRacing with a paid subscription.
Hot laps begin Tuesday’s action from 5 pm Eastern Time (11 am Wednesday NZST).