The American-based Australian will navigate his way around Allansford's Premier Speedway this weekend as he attempts to win his fourth South West Conveyancing Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic.

Tatnell, 48, has raced for 34 years but lost his ride with US team Vermeer Motorsports last week.

He has been busy making phone calls as he tries to consolidate a plan but remains focused on satisfying Mount Gambier-based Scott Motorsport, including at the Australian title in Tasmania later this month.

"We get the results here, it keeps our name out there, it keeps people interested in us," Tatnell told The Standard.

"The results on the race track are going to be more beneficial than the phone calls you make."

Tatnell admitted the situation was "stressful" and he was unsure what rides would be available at short notice.

"Timing-wise, it's probably going to murder us," he said.

"If I would've known about this in November when the season ended, I would probably be sitting here saying 'we can put something together, I can work this, I can work that'.

"The problem about losing a ride now is the (World of) Outlaws start in February and around the mid-west everything starts in April and everyone is pretty much committed."

MORE CLASSIC COVERAGE:

Tatnell is a father to Emma, 13, and Garrett, 9, and said his children, along with wife Amy, were at the forefront of any racing decisions he made.

"It is no different to anyone in any industry that loses a job, when you have house payments, you have a young family, you look at all that," he said.

"We've done good out of racing but on the same token, I've always been prepared to spend the extra money to make sure I bring my family with me every year.

"The nest egg at the end of the day is not always there."

Tatnell said motorsport partnerships had their ebbs and flows.

"Racing and race teams are a marriage. Sometimes they work, sometimes they work great for long periods, sometimes they work great for short periods and sometimes they just don't work at all," he said.

"You are a professional race car driver and it's a performance-based industry.

"If you don't perform, you don't have a ride.

"We had three reasonably good years (with Vermeer Motorsport), not our best years, but three decent years and then last year was an average year but we had so many rain-outs too.

"We had 12 rain-outs and when you keep having rain-outs, you don't get any rhythm. It is what it is."

Tatnell - the son of racing great George - said the industry was constantly changing.

"Racing has always been expensive but the problem is now is it's getting to a point now where to get a ride you've got to have sponsorship backing to take to a team, especially in America," he said.

"The money is now a higher priority than the talent."

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.