Speedway: Hawkeyes captain Steve Jude calls it quits

Steve Jude has retired from teams racing and will be able to concentrate more on individual titles. Photo/Duncan Brown

Call Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes Superstock team captain Steve Jude's retirement catastrophic for the team and you would be spot on ... under normal circumstances.

Jude, 46, announced his retirement this week, three months after the team's most successful and professional manager, James Buckrell, announced his. But as Jude, who captained the Hawkeyes to back-to-back titles at the most prestigious event on the country's speedway calendar, the Enzed Superstock Teams Champs in Palmerston North in February, pointed out ... these aren't normal circumstances for the Hawkeyes.

"There is so much depth within the squad and there are numerous talented drivers who want to trial for the Hawkeyes. I wouldn't have retired if I didn't think the talent was there but I'm confident they can win three consecutive titles in Palmy.

"I'm going out while at the top. To captain the team to two consecutive titles in Palmy is the pinnacle and we won the team of the year award at the Hawke's Bay Sports Awards function ... you can't get much better than that."

Jude was quick to reply when quizzed on who should replace him as captain:

"Mike McLachlan. He's the best blocker in the country and he has teams raced for years with the Meeanee Maulers and the Hawkeyes. He's not called Mr Speedway for nothing. Obviously when he's finished the likes of Jason Long and Thomas Stanaway will be ready for the captain's job ... the succession plans are there for every role."

A Hastings mechanic who runs his own business, Jude ranked the 2016 title as the best.

"It was the first time we had won it in the 35-year history of the event. I predicted publicly it would happen which many thought was a bold move but we were just so amped."

The fact the Hawkeyes beat Great Britain in both of their finals added to the significance of the double.

"We had to win otherwise the title was going out of the country. There was so much pressure the second time and being captain it was unreal."

A three-time East Coast and Autumn Nationals champion, two-time Hawke's Bay champion and former King Country champion, Jude said all races at the top level were tough. But a couple stand out as his toughest.

"When we raced against Wanganui three years ago and Kyle Heibner hit me twice. They were brutal hits. Another occasion was when Mount Maunganui's Kerry Remnant hit me in Auckland a few years ago and he's one of my best speedway mates too."

Jude predicted the likes of Long, Stanaway, McLachlan and Quinn Ryan will form the nucleus of a strong Hawkeyes team. Add the likes of the father-son combo of Regan and Kairyn O'Brien and Zach Lawrence who were in this year's team, Adam Groome who raced for Nelson in Palmy and Mauler Randal Tarrant who wants to trial and it's easy to gauge why Jude is talking up the squad's depth.

Although Jude has called it quits from teams racing after 14 years he will continue to race for individual titles in Hawke's Bay and around the country when the season begins at Meeanee on October 22.

"Winning the 1NZ title is the next goal now. I have yet to win that one and I'm hoping some of the drivers I have helped over the years might help me this season when the nationals are in Auckland in January. But it's a hard title to win ... years ago you could name 10 drivers who were capable of winning the national title. These days you could list 60 drivers as serious contenders."

He heaped kudos on the work Buckrell did as manager.

"James ticked off every box. He got a crew of between 50 and 60 people working behind the scenes. He had the hard job and all us drivers had to do was drive.

"I will still sponsor the team and give them some advice if they want it. But I'm looking forward to being a spectator in a corporate box with James.

"Yes I will miss the teams racing but it's the best time to call it a day," Jude added.