KEY POINTS:
National speedway champion Michael Pickens was last night haring around his beloved Western Springs track. In 10 days he will swap dirt for tarmac to contest the Ruapuna round of the Toyota Racing Series in a car he has yet to drive.
In a dramatic change of pace, two-time national midget champion "Slim" Pickens will make his road racing debut in the Lady Wigram series in Christchurch on January 5-6 but he has his sights set much, much higher with the lucrative world of Nascar his ultimate goal.
Backed by the same consortium of New Zealand businessmen and motorsport enthusiasts who backed Scott Dixon in his introduction to the Indy Racing League and more recently Brendon Hartley in his successful European stint, Pickens admits it will be a steep learning curve.
"I have to be down in Christchurch on January 2 for my rookie test," said Pickens before he took to the dirt at the Springs last night. "I haven't sat in the car yet but I did see it when I was in Christchurch last weekend. I'm new to the whole format but I'm certainly looking forward to it."
Pickens who, like many New Zealand motor racing stars, cut his teeth in karting before progressing to midgets as a 15-year-old, says many of today's Nascar drivers used dirt speedway racing as a stepping stone.
"Quite a few of the international drivers who have raced at Western Springs have gone off to Nascar. But you can't go straight into Nextel Cup racing," he said. "To get anywhere you need the right money and the right people behind you.
