Speedway: Power of belief fuels Hawkeyes again

Hawkeyes (back row, left) Thomas Stanaway, Steve Jude, Kairyn O'Brien, Regan O'Brien, Murray Long, manager James Buckrell, Mike McLachlan (kneeling left) and Jason Long. PHOTO/Geoff Bicknell

Belief is all the Hawkeyes needed to tame the Great Britain Lions and the Palmerston North Panthers when push came to shove to retain their crown at the weekend.

"They realised that they are the best team in the country," said manager James Buckrell last night after the defending champions beat last year's finalists Lions in the final of Speedway New Zealand's glamour event, the 12-team Enzed Superstock Teams Championship, in Palmerston North.

The Hawkeyes beat Auckland All Stars first up and then the Manawatu Mustangs on Saturday night.

"The second race didn't go quite to plan because two cars rolled so we came second but their lead car was disqualified," Buckrell said.

"It wasn't the way we like to win but we'll take it," said a jovial Buckrell, revealing a Mustang driver had taken the rumble on to the grass verge after "a bit of infringement".

The Steve Jude-captained team, comprising Jason Long, Mike McLachlan, Thomas Stanaway, Regan O'Brien and Kairyn O'Brien, had a debrief that night after applying some soothing balm to their metal beast.

"We came out the next day and demolished everybody. We just took it up two to five notches," he said, after taming 17-time champions Palmerston North Panthers.

In a nutshell, Buckrell said Hawkeyes had to outhink, out hit and outplay the hot favourites with Long and Stanaway shining.

The father-and-son O'Briens replaced Quinn Ryan and Quintin Butcher from last year.

Regan O'Brien got into the fray in the last race and caught everyone on the hop at the Palmy stadium.