Cocky is a word one would never use to describe Hawke's Bay superstock driver Steve Jude.
The popular Hastings mechanic has always been a quiet humble achiever over the years - whether he's racing for individual titles or as a member of the Hawkeyes team. And he wasn't being cocky during an interview prior to Sunday's second night of the BJs Bakery & Cafe Hastings North Island Championship at Hauraki Meeanee Speedway when he said he believed he was a top-three contender.
"I just felt it would be a good way to celebrate 20 years of racing for my Silver Bullet car. Finishing third was the perfect way to back up those words ... it's the first time on the podium at the North Island champs for me," Jude said after finishing two points behind Palmerston North winner Adam Joblin and Rotorua's Bryce Steiner who Joblin beat in a run-off for the title.
The Silver Bullet was previously raced by Wellingtonian Tony McLanachan and Hawke's Bay's retired two-time national champion Shane Penn who are both former North Island champions. Jude agreed his third placing was the ideal rehearsal for the Wellington-hosted national championships to be raced on Friday and Saturday nights.
"There's at least eight of us from the Bay going to the nationals. Hopefully we can work together like we did tonight ... I've got to thank the Bay boys for taking out some of the top runners so I could podium," two-time Autumn Nationals champion Jude said.