US-based Sprintcar star to headline Adelaide 500 show

It was confirmed today that, as first revealed by Speedcafe, there will be a Sprintcar element to the Supercars season finale this year.

A drop-in speedway will feature inside the Adelaide 500 precinct with Sprintcar shows on the Thursday and Friday nights.

The first confirmed entry for the event is McFadden, who is a regular in the High Limit Racing series in the US.

He has also competed for the NAPA-backed Hodges Motorsport squad during the Australian summer the past two seasons, and will campaign a NAPA Hodges entry in Adelaide.

“It’s fantastic that Sprintcars are going to be part of the VAILO Adelaide 500 with their own event,” said McFadden.

“I can’t think of a better place to do it – especially on the streets of Adelaide. It’s a great city for sport and motorsport. To be a part of the Adelaide 500 is huge and it’s one of the biggest motorsport events in the world.

“For us to showcase what we do on a stage as big as this is going to be fantastic.

“I grew up going to Speedway City in Adelaide, and I’m excited to come back to the town. I know how great the fans are, and I’m really excited that NAPA has supported this event.

“The South Australian Motorsport Board are going to make it an unbelievable show.

“To have a Speedway built in the middle of the city, in conjunction with the VAILO Adelaide 500, is huge for the sport of speedway. It’s going to be an awesome show. They’ll be a lot of talented drivers and teams, and Sprintcar has such a big following in Australia.

“I’m really excited for it. It is going to be huge for our sport. Huge for Adelaide and huge for NAPA.

“And I’m coming back home to win this race. Not only for myself, but for NAPA and the fans. It is going to be the biggest stage for Sprintcar racing in Australia.

“To win the race is the ultimate goal. We have the team capable of doing it – the NAPA Auto Parts Hodges Motorsport #5. I won’t be really happy about anything else but winning the race. I’ll be fresh off coming back from America and I’ll be able to hit the ground running.”

Mitch Wiley, the Executive General Manager – Marketing for NAPA owner GPC Asia Pacific, said it was a coup to bring McFadden to the event.

“The whole team at NAPA are thrilled to be the inaugural partner of the NAPA Speedway and to see this amazing event come to life, adding to the already world class VAILO Adelaide 500,” he said.

“This will be such a unique spectacle, and an incredible moment for all Australian Speedway fans.

“We’re very proud of our partnership with Hodges Motorsport and James over the past two Sprintcar summers, and to be bringing him to this event continues a very successful collaboration.

“Having James back on Australian soil, in the NAPA colours with Hodges for this race is a huge coup. He is Australia’s best Sprintcar driver and will represent the team at NAPA and his sport at the highest level.”