Macon, IL – Michael Pickens of Auckland, New Zealand proved his versatility by taking night four of POWRi Illinois SPEED Week at Macon Speedway.  Pickens won the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Illinois SPEED Week Mesilla Valley Transportation opening feature event at the Dirt Oval at Route 66 on Wednesday, May 31st, a big, sweeping track.  Tonight’s victory on the tight, high-banked Macon Speedway extended his POWRi Illinois SPEED Week championship points lead.

By virtue of winning his Speedway Motors heat race after starting sixth, Pickens earned the pole position as high point getter of the night.  Working the top side of the racing surface, Pickens found the fastest way around and worked the rubber to victory.  Enduring multiple cautions and race slowdowns, Pickens had to fend off relentless pressure from Zach Daum.  Zeb Wise, POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Rookie of the Year candidate, finished third after struggling to put a solid 30 laps together the previous two nights.  Former POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League champion Brad Loyet took fourth, while Shane Golobic finished fifth.

“Huge thanks to my team,” said Michael Pickens.  “They gave me an awesome car and I wouldn’t be here without them.  I definitely wouldn’t be here without my car owners and everyone that supported us and all the supporters back home and our major sponsors.  Once it laid rubber, I didn’t want to get off it.  It’s a matter of who finds the rubber first and we found it pretty quick and went hammer down.”

“I just want to apologize to all the fans that had to watch that race there,” Zach Daum stated.  “I’m sure that wasn’t a lot of fun.  Rubber races aren’t fun for anybody.  Michael started up front there and I tried to pressure him to make him make a mistake there at the end and I’ve raced with Michael a long enough time to know that he isn’t going to make a mistake and he’s going to run you clean.  We had a good race.  We started seventh and ran second, so we’ll go on to tomorrow.”

“I can’t thank everyone at Clauson-Marshall and the Driven 2 Save Lives organization, and everyone who supports me enough,” commented Zeb Wise.

Midgets

Speedway Motors Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: 17W – SHANE GOLOBIC, Heat 2: 1NZ – MICHAEL PICKENS, Heat 3: 7 – AUSTIN BROWN, Heat 4: 27 – TUCKER KLAASMEYER, Heat 5: 37 – ANDREW FELKER

Toyota Semi Feature Winner: 7ME – CHANCE MORTON, 8GQ – JIMI QUIN

Mesilla Valley Transportation Feature Winner: 1NZ – MICHAEL PICKENS

POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Feature Results (30 laps): 1. 1NZ – MICHAEL PICKENS  2. 5D – ZACH DAUM  3. 39 – ZEB WISE  4. O5 – BRAD LOYET  5. 17W – SHANE GOLOBIC  6. 7 – AUSTIN BROWN  7. 27 – TUCKER KLAASMEYER  8. 28 – ACE MCCARTHY  9. 8GQ – JIMI QUIN  10. 4D – ROBERT DALBY  11. 22 – ANDY MALPOCKER  12. 7ME – CHANCE MORTON  13. 6A – AIDAN ROOSEVANS  14. 37X – JAKE BLACKHURST  15. 3B – SHELBY BOSIE  16. 11Y – TRAVIS YOUNG  17. 5C – COLTEN COTTLE  18. 6B – BRAD KRAUS  19. 91T – TYLER THOMAS  20. 3N – JAKE NEUMAN  21. 88 – TERRY BABB  22. 37 – ANDREW FELKER  23. 4A – LOGAN SEAVEY

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