Search for a three-peat on ‘home’ track

He was born in Alice Springs Northern Territory and when he’s back in Australia he calls Warrnambool home but for nine months of the year he lives in a motorhome running up and down the interstates racing with the world famous World of Outlaws Sprintcar tour.

And when time allows he calls Mount Gambier home too.

Professional Sprintcar driver James McFadden is married to wife Zoe who is born and bred in Mount Gambier so together with their young Son Mav they’ll always have that connection to ‘the Mount’.

The fact that Borderline Speedway Mount Gambier has always been a happy hunting ground for McFadden racing results wise – he’s now regarded as one of the top ten Sprintcar drivers on the planet – is a happy bonus.

On Thursday, January 18, McFadden seeks to create history by becoming the first driver ever to record a hattrick at the 30th running of the Kings Challenge.

Over three decades the ‘Kings’ has become one of the most sought-after prizes in Australian Speedway with the sport’s elite from both here and in the USA having worn the crown.

James McFadden returns for his annual brief racing safari to Australia each year with the aim of winning three races in particular – the Kings Challenge, the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic and the Australian Sprintcar Championship.

Armed this year with two powerful Toyota Racing Development (TRD) motors sent to him from the TRD factory in the USA James seems better equipped than ever before.

“We’re lucky enough to have TRD & Toyota to come onboard for our Aussie campaign… it’s a great thing for us to get them in the market here,” McFadden said. “They’re a strong package having worked with them so closely all year, and I think we’ll hit the ground running. We also have NAPA Auto Parts Maxim cars that are brand new from America – so it’s as close as we can get to having what I race in the States.”

McFadden has had plenty of speed in the brief appearances he’s made in Australia this summer but not a huge amount of luck.

Two race accidents whilst competing for the lead at Warrnambool and Avalon have been the only blot on his copybook for the fan-favourite both here and in the USA.

Racing for the super-professional Hodges Motorsport team that is a partnership arrangement between AFL360 Fox Sports TV Producer Tim Hodges, Richmond AFL Superstar Jack Riewoldt, Sports Broadcasting giant Gerard Whateley and former Supercar champ now INDY Car (USA) star Scott McLaughlin it’s an arrangement that has attracted an unprecedented level of media exposure in the last twelve months.

AFL Triple Premiership winner Jonathan Brown was a guest of the team recently at Premier Speedway and was immediately impressed by the McFadden-Hodges operation.

“The whole team is incredible,” Brown said. “James is one of the best drivers in the world so it’s fitting that he races in a title-contention car and operation when he comes home to race. It’s great that he’s got people like Jack (Riewoldt), Scott (McLaughlin), Gerard (Whateley) and Timmy (Hodges) as the team partners. I can’t wait to see what they do in these big races in January.”

Over the Christmas New Year period of racing for the lucrative Speedweek series it was Tasmanian Australian Champ Jock Goodyer who triumphed but in the three rounds McFadden contested he was definitely a contender.

The focus is definitely on the Kings Challenge, The Classic and the Australian title for McFadden now, with the 30th Kings Challenge being the first of the trifecta on the radar.

“Anyone who knows me knows how much Mount Gambier means to me and my family, so I can’t wait to start our Kings Challenge defence and hopefully carry that momentum into the Classic and the Australian title.”
WORDS COURTESY OF WADE AUNGER & PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAY RITTER