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ING LANN ictures: TAYLOR P UNGS vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners sounds like a barbecue that has gone drastically wrong. K Flying Josh Pickering is ready for a push into the racing big time. By PHIL LANNING. PICKO ’N’ M It is, in fact, a French DJ with an Australian funk band whose tune ‘This Girl’ is Josh Pickering’s choice of race-winning song at Edinburgh. This serene, soulful dance track is a perfect illustration of his Jekyll and Hyde character on and off the track. Once aboard 500cc, Picko’s a pocket rocket. Blasting the boards, twisting, turning, buzzing around back wheels, like an angry wasp urgently seeking a sugary sting. However, remove the lid and kevlars, and revealed is a charming, chilled and focused young man. Yet that face full of friendly freckles has piercing eyes that simply can’t hide the fierce desire for success. Just 11 months ago, this Wizard of Oz admitted to me on the pages of Speedway Star he was disappointed to not have been snapped up in the UK top flight. Sheffield then swooped for the remainder of 2021 followed by King’s Lynn for 2022 and fans of both clubs rave about this out and out racer. “That’s why I’ve been having some good meetings. I’m still entitled to have some bad ones, that’s speedway, you can’t win them all. “As long as I’m more consistent than I’m not, that’s the most important thing and all I’m looking for from this year. “I’ve now got individual goals for what I want to achieve and where I want to be in the Premiership and Championship averages. “I’m in the top league now and I want to prove my place why I’m there.” When Pickering wasn’t included in Sheffield’s team plans for 2022, it’s fair to say that more eyebrows were raised than at a Roger Moore James Bond convention. Even more so when he was then swiftly signed by King’s Lynn and immediately made team captain. Stars team boss Alex Brady has admitted he spotted something special about his character in the pits last season. It was an inspired piece of scouting with the Norfolk side a force to be reckoned with this term. Pickering added: “People are now probably understanding the qualities I’ve seen in myself for some time. “Obviously with speedway you can never worry about what people say about you in the bad times. I just like to go about my business. If someone’s got something nice to say, it’s appreciated. But if it’s bad, I don’t really care. “It used to worry me what people think and that’s sort of shifted now. I know in myself I can’t do more than I’m already doing. If someone’s got an opinion they are entitled to it. Whether I agree with it or not, I’ve just got to accept it. Jo His elevation to the big time was underlined by a spectacular paid maximum against Ipswich just a fortnight ago. In the meantime, he continues to be a star at Edinburgh, banging in the big scores home and away. It was always a mystery as to why Pickering remained the best kept secret of the Championship in the Scottish capital. Now he must be delighted to be making his mark in both leagues? Typical of the man, it’s a measured and calculated response. He told me: “When you work hard for something and when it doesn’t happen for you, it’s disheartening but drives me on even more. “My focus and the pressure I put on myself has shifted. All I wanted last year was to do good for Edinburgh. “I’m everywhere I want to be right now. I’ve changed my focus now on managing to score consistently in both leagues. The pressure has lifted which is nice. But there’s a different pressure which is a lot more controllable. “There’s no point getting upset about it. I’ve just got to focus on what I’ve got to be concentrating on. “I’m just happy to be where I am now. It’s been a hard few years. “I was okay during the pandemic, everyone was in the same boat. If everyone else was riding and I was missing out, that would have made me feel behind the eight ball. “But everyone else was in the same situation, so I wasn’t singled out. If anything, I thought it might be to my advantage. “Sometimes when others are not on the bike, they lose focus and energy. But with me I can be sat away for a few months and I know I can pick up from where I left off. “I’m just thankful now I’m in the position I am. I ride for two great clubs and I’m respected within both sides and have great team-mates around me. “The pressure is just down to individual races. It’s not down to impressing anyone like beating a certain rider because he’s in the Premiership or whatever.” 2 speedway star May 14, 2022
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osh Pickering MIX IT Pickering, 25, has grown up during the halcyon days of Australian glory on the world stage in the 21st century. Jason Crump’s three world titles, one each for Chris Holder and Jason Doyle and three World Cup wins for the green and gold. It does feel like the Aussies are on the cusp of a new era with Max Fricke and now Jack Holder entering the Grand Prix fray. Picko has proved he can beat anyone on his day in UK racing and naturally admits that SGP is the ultimate goal. He added: “The end result is wanting to be a Grand Prix rider. I will get there one day, I know I will. “I’m doing all the right things to achieve that. Everything I do on and off track is the right way. “To see Max and Jack in the GP, they are both great riders. But all the guys in there are beatable. “I obviously had a good meeting the other day against Doyley. I don’t want a big deal over that, I’d never raced him or beaten him before then. So it was a feather in my cap sort of thing. “Speedway is a weird sport. I don’t even know how I rank in the world right now. But I can beat the top 15 riders in the world, it shows you something.” Like every rider destined for the very top, Pickering understands that it takes more than just holding a throttle wide open to reach the motorcycling Mecca. There’s a process and a package that needs to be carefully orchestrated on and off the bike over a number of years. road. Of course I’m washing my own bikes, you never hardly get a rest. “On days off we might go out for dinner but during the season all the training is effectively done on the bike. “Downtime is just hanging out, playing the Playstation Call of Duty or Fifa. I used to play football as a kid but I chose racing over that. “We are just big kids and unfortunately as we get older our toys just get more expensive, He added: “I’m doing everything properly. Like I’ve had Sam (Masters) help me for the last couple of years and away from the track and with my bikes finding something that works for me. “The help he has given me, it’s ridiculous. At the end of the day, we’re competitors but he’s a good friend and he’s got me going to where I needed to be. “In a way I couldn’t have done it without him. Maybe in a way, but certainly not as quick as I have done. “It’s the little things, you learn things in the workshop. He’s been here for 12 years now so he’s picked up so many things. The fact that he’s passing that information down to me now, it’s appreciated. “Where I am mentally on and off the track, I’m in a good place. I’ve got good equipment under me. Peter Johns is looking after my stuff in the UK and AshTech in Poland. I’ve got all the right people doing all the right things. It’s just up to me to continue the progress.” It takes a while in any interview to unearth the layers to what makes Picko tick. His outstanding levels of professionalism almost forbid him from opening up too much. But there’s a glimmer of the real man, he just tries to be “normal”, and he added: “In the season, we do so many miles up and down the it costs more to entertain yourself! “You just try to lead life as normal as possible away from speedway. I do love it and I’m a fan of the sport, I love watching it. “However it’s important to be a normal person as well so you have a balanced life.” Picko has got it all; talent, brains and focus to go all the way to the top. Never mind the Kungs, he is definitely Cookin’ up something special for a career. May 14, 2022 speedway star 3

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osh Pickering

MIX IT

Pickering, 25, has grown up during the halcyon days of Australian glory on the world stage in the 21st century. Jason Crump’s three world titles, one each for Chris Holder and Jason Doyle and three World Cup wins for the green and gold.

It does feel like the Aussies are on the cusp of a new era with Max Fricke and now Jack Holder entering the Grand Prix fray.

Picko has proved he can beat anyone on his day in UK racing and naturally admits that SGP is the ultimate goal.

He added: “The end result is wanting to be a Grand Prix rider. I will get there one day, I know I will.

“I’m doing all the right things to achieve that. Everything I do on and off track is the right way.

“To see Max and Jack in the GP, they are both great riders. But all the guys in there are beatable.

“I obviously had a good meeting the other day against Doyley. I don’t want a big deal over that, I’d never raced him or beaten him before then. So it was a feather in my cap sort of thing.

“Speedway is a weird sport. I don’t even know how I rank in the world right now. But I can beat the top 15 riders in the world, it shows you something.”

Like every rider destined for the very top, Pickering understands that it takes more than just holding a throttle wide open to reach the motorcycling Mecca. There’s a process and a package that needs to be carefully orchestrated on and off the bike over a number of years.

road. Of course I’m washing my own bikes, you never hardly get a rest.

“On days off we might go out for dinner but during the season all the training is effectively done on the bike.

“Downtime is just hanging out, playing the Playstation Call of Duty or Fifa. I used to play football as a kid but I chose racing over that.

“We are just big kids and unfortunately as we get older our toys just get more expensive,

He added: “I’m doing everything properly. Like I’ve had Sam (Masters) help me for the last couple of years and away from the track and with my bikes finding something that works for me.

“The help he has given me, it’s ridiculous. At the end of the day, we’re competitors but he’s a good friend and he’s got me going to where I needed to be.

“In a way I couldn’t have done it without him. Maybe in a way, but certainly not as quick as I have done.

“It’s the little things, you learn things in the workshop. He’s been here for 12 years now so he’s picked up so many things. The fact that he’s passing that information down to me now, it’s appreciated.

“Where I am mentally on and off the track, I’m in a good place. I’ve got good equipment under me. Peter Johns is looking after my stuff in the UK and AshTech in Poland. I’ve got all the right people doing all the right things. It’s just up to me to continue the progress.”

It takes a while in any interview to unearth the layers to what makes Picko tick. His outstanding levels of professionalism almost forbid him from opening up too much.

But there’s a glimmer of the real man, he just tries to be “normal”, and he added: “In the season, we do so many miles up and down the it costs more to entertain yourself!

“You just try to lead life as normal as possible away from speedway. I do love it and I’m a fan of the sport, I love watching it.

“However it’s important to be a normal person as well so you have a balanced life.”

Picko has got it all; talent, brains and focus to go all the way to the top.

Never mind the Kungs, he is definitely Cookin’ up something special for a career.

May 14, 2022 speedway star 3

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