All images courtesy of Alana Warrington Photography

Michael Pickens - A Proud CRC Ambassador

CRC has a proud history in motorsport, supporting a number of Kiwi drivers to achieve success both at home and overseas. One of our longest standing partnerships is with Speedway legend, Michael Pickens.

About Michael Pickens

We have been partnering with Michael since 2016 and over that time, we have been proud to witness some of his fantastic performances on the track. We recently caught up with Michael to get an update for all his fans. We asked him about his road to success in speedway – where his love of the sport started and his hopes for the season ahead. Here’s what he had to say:

Michael Pickens Bio

My name is Michael Pickens. I’m a 10 times NZ Champion speedway driver racing both Midgets and Sprint Cars. I am a proud CRC ambassador and have been for the past 6 years.

I’ve been racing since the age of 10, so it’s safe to say I’m super passionate about the sport! I started out in go karts, then moved to quarter midgets when I was 13, before jumping straight to midget cars at age 15.

At 19 I won my first NZ Midget title, and soon after that started traveling to the USA and Australia to represent NZ. When I was 24, I also became involved in pavement racing in the USA, testing a NASCAR Craftsman Truck and winning a late model race in a feeder series to NASCAR. I’ve since enjoyed lots of success in both the USA and Australia, including winning the Australian Midget Title in 2016.

Compared to many other forms of motorsport, Speedway is a real show for the fans. It’s held in the evenings, it’s an action packed few hours, and the racing is ‘wheel to wheel’, meaning lots of passing and a few crashes along the way! It attracts a diverse crowd but is definitely heavily family oriented. Western Springs Speedway in Auckland is our home track, but we also travel throughout the North and South Islands, to Australia and the USA to race.

We love promoting CRC - we use the products on our race cars and we’re as passionate about the products as you are! We have a super active fan following at the track as well as via our social media online, so we’re always thinking of new ways to showcase and get fans engaged with CRC.

Outside of speedway, I live on a lifestyle block in North-West Auckland with my wife and 4-year-old daughter. We have a love for animals, so have many pets to look after at home. We also fundraise for our favourite animal charity, Paw Justice.

Follow Michael Pickens on social media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelpickensracing/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaelpickensracing/