Speedway: Mechanic's banking on mates

Randal Tarrant is among the favourites for the HB stockcar champs at Meeanee tonight. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

IN terms of lucky omens in the countdown to tonight's Hawke's Bay stockcar championship at Meeanee, Randal Tarrant has the perfect one.

His good friend and fellow product of farm paddock races around Takapau during their younger days, Sam Barry, spent hours repairing panel damage on Tarrant's car this week after it took a pounding at last weekend's North Island championships in Whanganui. Barry won the New Zealand V8 utes series which ended last month and should this success rub off on Tarrant his opponents can expect a tough time.

"I owe a lot to Sam who put his engineering skills to good use," Tarrant said.

A two-time Kuru Cup winner, Tarrant, 22, was unlucky to be ganged up on in his attempt to win back-to-back titles last summer. Because he isn't the defending champion tonight he is expecting to have better luck.

"I'll give the title a go but I'll have to see what the others in the field think."

One of the keys to Tarrant's success in the 2013-14 season was the assistance he received from his father, retired Meeanee Mauler Beatle Tarrant, who produced some accurate blocking of a couple of his nearest rivals.

"Dad isn't racing any more but hopefully I'll have a few mates," Tarrant remarked.

When quizzed on whether or not he believed last summer's title winner Jason Penn would receive similar treatment to what he received as the defending champion, Tarrant replied: "Some people tend to get away without any taps when they are defending a title."

An apprentice mechanic at Waipawa Autos, Tarrant will be making his first appearance at Meeanee since opening night in October. A fifth season racer in the class after progressing from ministocks, Tarrant has been racing in the South Island with the KB Cowboys and also in Palmerston North and Whanganui.

He got rolled in Blenheim when the Cowboys finished fourth and was prominent in their title success in Christchurch. Tarrant, who races a Holden V6-powered car, had a couple of top 10 finishes at Palmerston North's opening night.

After tonight his next meeting will be the New Zealand Grand Prix in Auckland on January 4 and 5. Tarrant will be among more than 100 starters and will aim to qualify for the top group.

Another major event on his schedule will be the January 29 and 30 New Zealand Champs in Huntly.

"I will try and make the top group there too. But it will be tough as there will be 150 cars and only the top four from each group will qualify."

Tarrant, another former champ, Brett Loveridge, and Penn are regarded as the favourites in tonight's 30-strong field which will include seven visitors from Gisborne and one from Palmerston North. The experienced Brett Lloyd will be among Gisborne's best hopes. "The Gisborne cars will probably treat the championship like a teams race which will make it an awesome event. Whoever emerges with the title will deserve it," Tarrant added.

Tonight's other feature attraction will be the 14-car Hawke's Bay streetstock championship.

Hawke's Bay rally driver Brent Redington won the title last summer in what was only his third meeting.

While Redington will be among the fancied starters again, it will be a surprise if one of the Melling brothers, multiple champion Wayne, Shayne or Daniel, don't capture the title. Support class action will be provided by saloons, ministocks and sidecars. Tonight's meeting will be the first of two within three days at Meeanee.

A ramp derby as well as a fireworks display will be the feature attractions on Monday night.