Stockcars: Fed up Beatle - Let it be, let it be

Beatle Tarrant, left, has retired from teams racing and Bryce Cross will make his Peter Barry Memorial Stockcar Teams event debut for the Meeanee Maulers this weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor

Disillunionment with stockcar racing has forced popular Hawke's Bay driver Beatle Tarrant to announce his retirement.

Tarrant's berth in the Meeanee Maulers team for this weekend's Thirsty Whale Bar and Restaurant Peter Barry Memorial Teams event at Meeanee has been taken by his Hawke's Bay Speedway Club clubmate Bryce Cross. While Cross has raced for the Maulers in the past, this will be his first Peter Barry Memorial in Maulers colours.

"It was during the Grand Prix in Wanganui last month. I qualified for the second group and cars were still passing me and making me look silly ... that got me thinking about retirement," Tarrant explained.

"I run $20,000 engines and still get passed. The rules have changed so much in the sport and the crash has gone out of it. These days it's a drag race ... I always enjoyed the crash and bash stuff, particularly if the bloke I was lining up had 1NZ, 2NZ, or 3NZ on his car," Tarrant said. Tarrant, 52, has raced stockcars for 14 years and has been in the Maulers team for the last eight. The February 21 and 22 North Island champs in Wellington will be his last championship event.

"Retirement was a hard decision. But I always said I would call it quits if someone was ready to step up and Bryce has been waiting in the wings," Tarrant said.

A Central Hawke's Bay home kill business operator, Tarrant said he will stay involved with speedway and is considering taking up refereeing. A couple of second placings in the national teams champs and a win at the Huntly teams event six years ago are among his highlights with the Maulers.

While he has produced numerous memorable hits over the years, Tarrant ranks one on Huntly's Anton Leek in Wanganui in 2008, another on clubmate Mark Jones a couple of years ago, as his best.

He predicted the Maulers line-up of his son, East Coast and Hawke's Bay champion Randal Tarrant, Jeff Hart, Brett Loveridge, Cross, Tony Palmer and Marty Cooke to reach the semi-finals this weekend.

"It's as good a team as the Maulers have ever had. Now they've got rid of me they will be faster," he quipped.

Cross, 22, is in his fifth year as a stockcar driver after stepping up from the ministock ranks. He raced for the Maulers at the Palmerston North Teams Invasion and in a couple of smaller races.

"I was dropped for a while so I could improve my racing. I had to change my style, improve the mental side of my racing and not panic," Cross explained.

"Getting picked for the Maulers again is the highlight of my career. It's almost like making the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team. Now I'm back I want to stay in the team as long as possible and race at next season's national teams champs in Rotorua."

The Big Barrel Tamatea-sponsored driver won't be short of advice this weekend. Cross works for former 3NZ and long-time Mauler Regan O'Brien so teams racing is often a hot topic during their lunch and smoko breaks. "Versatility is my biggest asset. I'll run if I have to and I'll bash if I have to ... it's the same for all of us Maulers. The first corner usually determines what role we have to take on," Cross said.

The Peter Barry Memorial teams event is raced in memory of Barry, a Central Hawke's Bay farmer and businessman who died from head injuries received when racing for the Kihi Kihi Kings Superstock team in Palmerston North in 2009. All 10 teams will have two races tonight. The top two teams from each of the two groups will race in tomorrow night's semi-finals. There will also be consolation races tomorrow night.

Team managers will draw their section opponents on the infield before tonight's races.