Speedway: Four mates team up to vanquish Hawkeyes

Regan O’Brien (right, Hawkeyes) tangles with Lance Aldridge (Busters)

It started out as an idea discussed over a few beers in the Hawke's Bay Speedway Club's Meeanee clubrooms.

Eight days later, Saturday night to be precise, the Hawke's Bay Hornets Superstock team of Jarrod Lindsay, Quinn Ryan, Mac Kwok and Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby prop Jason Long took to the track and upset the Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes. It may have been the club's 50th anniversary meeting but this quartet, all of whom are aged under-26, stole the limelight from their more experienced opponents Steve Jude, Regan O'Brien, Thomas Stanaway and Quentin Butcher.

Their hits were more spectacular than those produced by the Hawkeyes.

Ryan's rolling of Stanaway and Lindsay's of Butcher were particularly memorable.

"Words can't describe this. You can win races, you can win championships but nothing beats winning a teams race with three mates," Lindsay said after securing the victory.

He was full of praise for the input of their coach and manager, retired Hawkeye Paul Demanser.

"Basically Paul told us to hit and go hard ... we're all new to this sort of stuff," Lindsay said.

When asked if Hawke's Bay fans could see the Hornets joining the Hawkeyes at major teams events in the future, Lindsay replied:

"It's a definite possibility. If we can have regular races against the Hawkeyes I'm sure we will only get better."

Earlier in the evening the Hawkeyes beat the Bay Park Busters to win the Battle of the Bays Trophy for the second consecutive year.

Hawke's Bay sidecar swinger Pete Steigenberger, 56, had two wins, one each with different riders, before announcing his retirement after 10 years in the class. His first victory was with Troy Devery and his second with Dave Black, who he last competed with eight years ago.

As part of the 50-year celebrations five vintage TQs and 17 golden oldies stockcars circulated in exhibition races. Among the stockcar drivers was Palmerston North's Charlie Harper in the restored Clifford 6 Dave Evans won a North Island title in at Meeanee more than 30 years ago.

New Plymouth's Eric Beardmore drove a car which was based in Boston and raced in the United States during the 1940s and '50s. It has a 1947 Kurtis Kraft chassis and 1947 Meyer & Drake Offenhauser engine.