Heddon Greta's Josh Pickering has won the NSW Under-21 Speedway Solo title as he begins his quest to qualify to ride in Britain in 2017.
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It was a big night for Kurri Kurri Speedway Club riders at Tamworth on Saturday with Mitch Cluff first and Isaac Hawes third in the under-16 250s.
A blow piston in his second race was the only thing that prevented Pickering from claiming a clean sweep of victories.
“Everything was good, my bikes were running fine. We would have made a maximum but my piston exploded in heat two.
“I was out in front and my bike blew up and there was a bit of drama.
“My other bike was there but the frame was no good. My cousin was there racing and his engine blew up, so we put the engine of my second bike into his frame.
“I raced that for the next four races and thankfully won.”
It was Pickering’s first speedway state title having made the switch from dirt bikes where he won numerous state and national title.
It followed second in the speedway winter series after only two-and-a-half seasons in speedway and he also won the Kurri Kurri Club Championship.
“I missed a round in the winter series because I didn’t know it was on. I only ended up losing by three points so I was spewing about that,” he said.
Now he is aiming for a top four at open state or the national title to qualify for a working permit to ride in the UK.
“The way things are going I’m trying to get to England next year, just chipping away,” he said.
“I need at least a fourth at one of the state open titles to qualify for a work permit to ride in Britain.
“I had a couple of good meetings a couple of weeks back. I raced in Gillman in South Australia for the Australian Team Fundraising Meeting and in Mildura the night before for the Phil Crump International.
“I beat (Denmark’s) Michael Jepsen Jensen who is a grand prix rider who had raced in Melbourne at the grand prix the week before.
“He was staying at Sam Masters’ place in Newcastle and he raced in Mildura. I ended up beating him as well and Crumpy (former world champions Jason Crump).
“I also beat Max Fricke the current world under-21 champion.
“The following night in Gilman I beat Same Masters in the first heat. I got nine points and went straight into the final and got third.”
“I know the way I’m riding that there shouldn’t be any reason not to reach my goals of top-four in state open titles .
“I want to get at least top six to eight in the Australian open title.
“If not I’m just not good enough at this stage. I’ll take it as it comes, preparations for the bikes are going well so it’s up to me.
“I’m racing the Queensland championship, the NSW championship here at Kurri and the SA championship a couple of days after Christmas.”
In the junior ranks Cessnock rider Hawes and Lake Macquarie's Cluff, who both ride out of Kurri Kurri, continued their healthy rivalry from the winter series at Tamworth.
Cluff represented Australia in the 250cc World Junior Speedway titles in Europe in July.
