Josh Pickering
Australian speedway rider
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joshua Pickering (born 30 November 1996) is an Australian motorcycle speedway rider.[1][2]
Heddon Greta, New South Wales, Australia
| Born | 30 November 1996 Heddon Greta, New South Wales, Australia |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Career history | |
| Great Britain | |
| 2017–2024 | Edinburgh |
| 2021, 2023–2025 | Sheffield |
| 2022–2023 | King's Lynn |
| Poland | |
| 2019 | Krosno |
| 2022 | Rawicz |
| 2023 | Gniezno |
| 2024 | Gdańsk |
| 2025 | Leszno |
| 2026 | Gdańsk |
| Denmark | |
| 2023 | Region Varde |
| Individual honours | |
| 2024 | Championship Riders' Champion |
| Team honours | |
| 2023 | SGB Premiership |
| 2024 | Premiership Knockout Cup |
Career
He began his British speedway career riding for Edinburgh in 2017.[3][4] He began his championship average at the assessed 5.00[5] and completed the season with the fifth-highest average of 4.62.[6] By the end of the 2019 season, despite a mid-season injury at Birmingham,[7] his average for the Monarchs was past his assessed average and had reached 6.98.[8] Pickering, however, criticized the Championship league structure as unfair on riders from other countries due to its reduction in their number of matches completed by each team.[9]
While still riding for the Monarchs in the Championship in mid-2021, the Sheffield Tigers signed Pickering for their Premiership team. Co-promoter Damien Bates remarked at the time, "[I]t’s a surprise he’s not had a Premiership place before," replacing then-team member Justin Sedgmen.[10]
Pickering signed for the King's Lynn Stars ahead of the 2022 Premiership Season.[11] During the 2022 season, he rode for the King's Lynn in the SGB Premiership 2022 and for Edinburgh in the SGB Championship 2022.[12]
In 2023, he re-signed for King's Lynn for the SGB Premiership 2023 and remained the team captain but suffered injuries and later switched to Sheffield.[13] The switch proved successful as he helped Sheffield win the league title.[14] He also re-signed for Edinburgh for the SGB Championship 2023.[15]
In 2024, he re-signed for Sheffield and Edinburgh respectively,[16] winning the Knockout Cup with the Tigers.[17] He also saw individual success when he won the Rider's Championship.[18]