John Mickel (racing driver)

Last updated

John Mickel
John-Mickel Profile.jpg
Mickel in 2011
Nationality Flag of England.svg English
Born (1971-01-28) 28 January 1971 (age 53)
Cambridge, England
Pickup Truck Racing Series career
Debut season2008
Former teamsTorqueSpeed
Wins0
Poles0
Finished last season23rd
Previous series
2004 ASA Series
Last updated on: 20 July 2020
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
7 races run over 4 years
2008 position98th
Best finish43rd (2006)
First race 2005 Silverado 350K (Texas)
Last race 2008 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Charlotte)
WinsTop tens Poles
000
.

John Mickel (born 28 January 1971) is a British professional stock car racing driver and commentator. He has raced in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the United States and the Pickup Truck Racing Series in the United Kingdom. He was also a commentator for Sky Sports' coverage of NASCAR racing in 2008 and 2009.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Racing career

Mickel competing for the TorqueSpeed team at Rockingham in 2004. John Mickel 66 Xerox Ford Rockingham 2004 (cropped).jpg
Mickel competing for the TorqueSpeed team at Rockingham in 2004.

Mickel, a second-generation driver, began racing at the age of ten in Ministox and won his first championship two years later. He soon moved to Superstox where he was named both World and European champion. He joined the SCSA-Europe tour in its inaugural year in 2001, where he won the series' first championship.

In 2002, Mickel began racing part-time in the United States in NASCAR. After failing to qualify for two races in the Craftsman Truck Series in the No. 09 for Midgley Racing, he began racing in the American Speed Association in 2004. He also planned to make his Nextel Cup Series debut that same year in Travis Carter's No. 66 car for the renamed TorqueSpeed Carter team in select races throughout the season, but the deal fell through. [1] In 2005, Mickel returned to the Truck Series and did make his debut in the series after qualifying for the race at Texas, driving the No. 4 Dodge Ram for Bobby Hamilton Racing, starting 35th and finishing 29th. Mickel had attempted to make one other start that season for Hamilton's team at Atlanta in the team's No. 05 truck, but failed to qualify, in part because it was a fifth part-time team for BHR with no owner points. The next season, he ran the final five races of the Truck Series schedule leasing owner's points and equipment from the No. 07 Green Light Racing Chevrolet. His best finish was a 20th at Atlanta. He was scheduled to run with Green Light full-time in 2007, but instead Tim Sauter got the ride. During preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway, Speed had reported that Mickel would instead begin the season in the No. 63 MB Motorsports truck, and the sponsorship he brought would allow him and the team to run the full season,[ citation needed ] but this did not end up happening.

For 2008 and 2009, Mickel raced in selected rounds of the U.K. Pickup Truck Racing Series. He ran the multi-race winning truck of Paul Poulter but with a different engine.

On 31 January 2010, Mickel won the inaugural ASA Transcontinental Series Free State 500 [2] at Phakisa Freeway near Welkom, South Africa in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, having qualified fourth for the 207-lap 500-km race. He took the lead on the last lap after a close and clean race.

In March 2010, Mickel (as Mickel Motorsport) started the 2010 UK CPC Legends Cars season in car No. 4, also running car No. 14 (the CPC sponsored car, driven by Paul Musselle) and car #39 (driven by Jess Gwynne).

On 28 March 2010, it was announced that Mickel would make his NASCAR comeback, returning to the Truck Series again with the TorqueSpeed team, but running by themselves instead of partnering with SS-Green Light or another existing team. No other details were announced besides the fact that the team would run a part-time schedule of around ten races that year with a full season run planned in 2011. [3] This also never ended up happening, and Mickel would not make another start in NASCAR.

Career history

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425NCTCPtsRef
2002 Midgley Racing 09 Chevy DAY DAR MAR GTY PPR DOV TEX MEM MLW KAN KEN NHA MCH IRP NSH RCH TEX SBO LVS CAL PHO
DNQ		 HOM
DNQ		N/A0 [4]
2005 Bobby Hamilton Racing 05 Dodge DAY CAL ATL MAR GTY MFD CLT DOV TEX MCH MLW KAN KEN MEM IRP NSH BRI RCH NHA LVS MAR ATL
DNQ		81st76 [5]
4 TEX
29		 PHO HOM
2006 Green Light Racing 07 Chevy DAY CAL ATL MAR GTY CLT MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW KAN KEN MEM IRP NSH BRI NHA LVS TAL MAR
31		 ATL
20		 TEX
25		 PHO
25		 HOM
29		43rd430 [6]
2008 SS-Green Light Racing 07 Chevy DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT
31		 MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI GTY NHA LVS TAL MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 98th70 [7]

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References

  1. ↑ "2004 Nextel Cup Team/Driver Chart". Jayski's Silly Season Site . 1 October 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  2. ↑ Burroughes, Peter (31 January 2010). "John Mickel wins ASA Free State 500". ASA Racing. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  3. ↑ Buchanan, Mary Jo (28 March 2010). "John Mickel Leads British Invasion of NASCAR". Bleacher Report . Turner Broadcasting System . Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "John Mickel – 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "John Mickel – 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "John Mickel – 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "John Mickel – 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
none
 ASCAR Champion
2001		Succeeded by
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