Neil McFadyen Back In Business With Gold Star Return

2004 Australian Drivers Champion Neil McFadyen thinks it's great he's back in Australia's top Open Wheel category - and why wouldn't he?

The Former winner of the Gold Star - in a Reynard 94D Formula Holden car with RALT Australia - was confirmed yesterday as a full-time entrant in the 2008 championship with revitalised Sydney-based team Piccola Scuderia Corse.

Not only does he join a team with championship-winning experience (2001, with Peter Hackett) and a brand-new ex-Prema Power team European F3 Dallara F307 Mercedes ride, but he rejoins the Australian Drivers Championship at its most competitive juncture in recent memory.

This year young guns like Nathan Caratti and Earl Bamber will go head-to head with the likes of Leanne Tander, Mat Sofi and Stuart Kostera - all with plenty of F3 success under their respective belts - for a title fight set to be waged over eight rounds and sixteen races.

The Quietly-spoken New South Welshman will be the only former winner of the Gold Star award in this years' field.

After spending a year out of the seat working in the United Kingdom, McFadyen said that he was thrilled to be back in the thick of the action this weekend.

"I'm really rapt to be back in the seat and in a good, competitive car," he enthused.

"I bumped into Rudolf Masi from Piccola Scuderia at a race meeting late last year and he mentioned that he had drives available. I'd had enough of being out of the seat and was very keen to get back into a competitive car so we started talking and put the deal together from there. Hopefully we can have a good year."

The late arrival of the car to Piccola's Sydney workshop has ensured a hurried build-up to this weekend's racing and left this morning's opening practice session as the first laps for both team and driver.

"The first laps the car turned, and the first laps I've done in twelve months were in the wet which wasn't ideal," he explained.

"If it stays wet then we won't give away too much to the cars that have been doing a lot of testing before the start of the season. If it's dry then we'll work hard on dialling the car in to make it as competitive as possible.

"I'm confident that we can challenge at the front because the guys have worked hard on the car for the last two or three days to get it ready, they have done a fantastic job."

After finishing fourth fastest in the opening session, McFadyen backed that result up with sixth fastest time in the second (Dry) session setting up a promising weekend.

McFadyen and the Piccola team - including Opes Prime National Class runner and F3 rookie Daniel Cotton - will be in action over qualifying and two races this weekend at Sydney's Eastern Creek.

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