Speedy Pickering
Aussie is outstanding member of the Monarchs’ squad
JOSH PICKERING claimed a sensational 20 points in a recent Cab Direct Championship defeat suffered by the Stellar Monarchs speedway team at Glasgow Allied Vehicles Tigers.
The 27-year-old Aussie received shale-loads of praise from his own bosses and even from the opposition for his outstanding performance, winning six of his seven rides and only being beaten in his final outing by opposition No 1, experienced Chris Harris, a former Grand Prix racer and a three-time British champion.
Indeed, Glasgow Tigers’ team manager, Cami Brown, feels the man from Heddon Greta, New South Wales, has been the best visitor to Tigers’ Ashfield Stadium this summer.
Brown added: “There’s little doubt that Josh Pickering was different class. He has been the best visitor to Ashfield this season by some margin.”
Praise indeed, for a fierce rival.
Sadly, with Justin Sedgmen missing through injury, Picking’s eye-catching haul failed to earn Monarchs valuable points on the night as the visitors did not have sufficient back-up.
Glasgow’s squad all contributed, which was key in that match and crucial to overall success for all teams who crave success in the Cab Direct Championship.
JPosichkering, who started his British career with EdPiinckbeurirngh in 2017, currently averages over nine points a match with Sedgmen second best
with nearly eight and captain Paco Castagna next best with Kye Thomson also over seven.
Lasse Fredriksen averages over five with Connor Coles three and Max James one so it is not hard to see where improvement needs to be made.
The club have already been counted out of the end-of-season play-offs and the ambition now is to lift the club off the bottom and finish as high up the table as they can before the end of the season. It has not been pleasant for diehard fans to look at the table in print or on social media in recent months to see the
Monarchs propping up the rest.
At least, the club still have silverware ambitions and have something to aim for as a disappointing season comes to a close.
They square-up to Scunthorpe Scorpions in the BSN Series, semi-final, with the first-leg at Armadale in late August followed by the return at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday 6 September at 7.30pm.
Pickering’s contribution will be key. The former League Championship winner with Sheffield in 2023 he will undoubtedly look for his team-mates to step-up when it matters.