Header Image: Stuart Whitaker (The Write Angle)
Ten-time New Zealand Midget Champion Michael Pickens has called time on his Midget racing career, opting to focus solely on Sprintcar racing moving forward.
Pickens made the announcement in a candid post on social media this evening, saying, “I would like to share that I am retiring from Midget racing, and will just focus on Sprint car racing going forward.
“This was an extremely tough decision to make, but I’ve achieved everything I wanted to, and more.
“Midget racing has taught me so much, and I’ve been very fortunate to have always been surrounded by the right people. I’ve met some of the most amazing people through my Midget racing career – from car owners, sponsors, crew, crew chiefs, promotors and fans, heck I even met my wife!
“I’m also grateful for the many opportunities to travel overseas to race Midgets, and my wins in USA and Australia are extra special.
“I can’t say thankyou enough to every single person that’s helped me along this journey of 27 years and 178 midget wins across 37 different tracks – it’s been a blast!”
The 43-year-old’s Midget racing career burst to life in 2001/02, when he claimed the first of what would become 18 national Midget event victories, with Grand Prix success at Stratford bringing him into the limelight.
Just one season later, he secured the first of his ten New Zealand championships at Western Springs, also winning the North Island Championship at the same venue that year.
His second New Zealand Championship came at Ruapuna four years later (2006/07), before a dominant run of four further titles in five seasons at Stratford (2009/10), Huntly (2011/12), Ruapuna (2012/13), and Western Springs (2013/14).
Further titles followed at Nelson (2016/17), Stratford (2018/19), Ruapuna (2019/20), and again at Stratford (2022/23).
Since his first New Zealand title, Pickens has won more than 40 per cent of all New Zealand Midget Championships contested.
Across that span, he also claimed a further five Grand Prix victories and two North Island Championships.
His accolades extend well beyond New Zealand, with the Kiwi ace competing against the world’s best, qualifying for the Chili Bowl A-Main six times, finishing third in 2011, and becoming the first New Zealander to win the Australian Speedcar Championship in 2016. He also recorded multiple feature race victories across the acclaimed USAC, POWRi, and Badger series.
Pickens’ final Midget outing came at Ruapuna in late March, where a heavy crash left him hospitalised and forced him to sit out the remainder of the season.
He had earlier qualified on the front row for the Sprintcar Grand Prix later that evening, but was unable to start due to the incident.
Running double duties has long been a hallmark of Pickens’ career, with the now Christchurch-registered driver frequently campaigning his CRC-backed Sprintcar and Midget at the same event.
With his Midget commitments now behind him, Pickens can fully focus on an already decorated Sprintcar career.
He will be looking to build on his 2020/21 New Zealand title, won at Baypark. He has also finished runner-up in the national championship three times (2017/18, 2019/20, and 2022/23) and third once (2018/19).
He also has two North Island Sprintcar titles to his name.