Stuart Kostera and Neil McFadyen will both be on the grid for this weekend's opening round of the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship, having landed themselves eleventh hour deals to return to the series.
Just one day before the 2008 season-opener at Eastern Creek, Scud Racing was a two-car operation harbouring only longer-term plans to expand into the ranks of the Australian Drivers Championship. However, Kostera desire to return to the series, allied with team owner Bill Maddocks ambition, closed a deal that will lift the team up the pecking order full-time. Kostera will take over the ex-James Rosenberg Dallara F307-Mercedes for the full 2008 series and beyond after winning one race and twice finishing on the podium in 2007 despite only taking part in six of the eight rounds contested.
”I had been talking to Bill for a couple of weeks to put something together for the season, but nothing was concrete and I didn't think I'd be here,” the driver admitted, "When he called and said that he had a new Dallara and wanted me to drive, I jumped at the chance. It's great to be back in the series and I'm really thankful to Bill for the chance to drive for him. These are fantastic cars and he's got some excellent ideas about bringing the younger kids through, so it's good to be a part of that.”
Though the Scud team, in partnership with Bevan Carrick of Cooltemp Racing, won last year's title last year with Tim Macrow, it had no plans to enter the Championship Class which features newer generation cars this season. Instead, it had intended on taking on the Opes Prime National Class with team newcomer Mathew Radisich and the Trophy Class with impressive 16-year old newcomer Justin Tate.
As it has turned out, however, the opportunity to acquire an ex-Manor Motorsport Dallara dramatically accelerated the team's plan to create a three-tiered developmental system for young drivers coming through the ranks.
![Stuart Kostera - Scud Racing [pic credit: Klynsmith/Race Torque]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/405188.jpg)
