Michael Pickens: Speedway driver previews Waikaraka Speedway's Open Wheeler opening weekend

It’s the opening weekend for Open Wheelers at Waikaraka Speedway.  

Midgets, Sprintcars, TQs, and ¼ Midgets are on the cards in what’s set to be an exciting night of racing. 

Michael Pickens is a long-time speedway driver and joined D'Arcy to discuss the event. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Let's getting speedway action. We're going to Michael Packins now,
long time speedway pilot. It's here for the grand opening
for the open wheelers. Anyway, it's White cutuk A Park.
Later tonight Gate's open and I think the first race
is around about six six thirty. He's going to talk
to us about this right now. Morning, Michael, Welcome to

(00:34):
the show.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Thanks for having me along.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Great to have you on board again. It seems like
I've been talking to you for twenty odd years. You
won't go away, will you.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yes, it's been a little while. I enjoy it too much.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, the sport itself, you've just developed and developed from
New Zealand, gone all over the states, income and came
back again. Your I suppose, trajectory through the sport. You've
got to be really happy with what you've achieved. And
you've pretty much done everything, haven't you.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
I guess, you know, just love for you, like you said,
just love the sport, you know, love to win them in.
It's I always refer to it's like I guess I
know how I try a drug addict fields because when
you get a wins as a similar sort of just
a shot in the arm, and you just want more
and more of it. And after twenty something years and

(01:23):
I'm still wanting more. So it's needed. It's enjoy racing
with my guys here in New Zealand. They you know,
they'll just become almost like family, you know, a good
bunch of friends. And I've got a lot of law
sponsors that have you know, also become almost that family too.
You know, they've been with me a long time. So
a lot of enjoyment out of it.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
The grand opening happening tonight's going to end with a
fireworks spectacular. Gates from six o'clock. I believe it's midgets
Spring cart tq's quarter midgets. Are you running across a
couple of these classes or yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:59):
So all run the midget and the sprint cast will
be doing double duty, which is always keeps us pretty
busy and one. So ye're looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
And as far as your results are concerned, you said
you loved winning. You must be right up there with
the favorites. All that would suggest, because it's a new oval,
maybe there isn't favoritis in this time around.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Yes, obviously level playing field for everyone. So yeah, just
about getting your head around it as quick as you can,
and yeah, figuring the place out. But I'm sure you know,
I've got the experienced people with me to do that
and hoping we get we can get it done.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
No one's kind of seen it or pedal. I mean
they've probably seen it, But how much time do you
actually get out there and to have a bit of
a squirt before you're actually racing. That's got to be important,
doesn't it.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yeah, I mean speedway is quite unique in the way
you don't really test as such.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
I mean.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
You know that because the track surface changes so much,
it's quite different to circuit racing or even drag racing,
where the surface doesn't change. You know, a whole lot
was the dirt. So yeah, it's very virtually no practice
at all. It's just a matter of figuring it out
on the run. And that's part of what makes speedway

(03:16):
so special. You know, it's about thinking on your toes
and adapting as you go.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
What do you look to when you start racing and
you're trying to work out what the track does? Is
how soft it is? How much you're sinking and how
much your spray. What are their variables when it comes
to pedling on a dirt circuit that.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
The racing line is changing all throughout the night. And
we you typically start with what we call like a
greasy track, so it's got more water content and it's
it's basically slippery, and that turns into what we refer
to as a heavy track, which has got a lot
of grip, and then and that then progresses to you know,

(03:59):
a medium slick track to a slick track. So basically
the grip level starts out is sometimes very little in
a greasy track, high grip level with the heavy track,
and as the night goes on, it just starts to
dry off or dust off or whatnot and becomes SLIXI.
Your grip level decreases again. And that's the beauty of
having great people run your great crew cheeses is keeping

(04:20):
the head of the ball and making sure, you know,
saying a twenty five third lap feature, that's making sure
your car is good, you know, for the last or
of five or ten laps, because there's no sense and
be good at the start, you've got to be good
at the end and that's the balance in the art
of being a good crew chief.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
And a good driver to us to know when it
actually counts and you have a preference, is there an
area in the race where you can actually go and
think the advantage is going to put you in a
good positive for the last five laps.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
You just got to read the track as best you can.
There's no you know, a certain sweet spot. It's just
you know, no one remembers the first ten laps, you know,
even remember who led the last lap. And that's what
our focus is always on. Has been in a to
where you can you know, went on that last lap

(05:09):
and not tearing up equipment or crashing throughout the race
with lap traffic or whatnot. So it's yeah, sometimes you
may have to just run at a you know, maybe
eighty percent and then sort of be there at the end,
take your time, like I say, through lat traffic. So yeah,
once again, a unique part about speedway is the forever

(05:32):
changing track and thinking on your toes and on that.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
We'll let you get on with your preparation. Michael Pickins
always a joy to catch up. Midget Sprint cast tq's
quarter Maudgets tonight at the Lucas Oil, Auckland Speedway, White
Kadaka Park. Looking forward to it, mate, go hard, play fair,
Thank you sir that.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk Said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio