Four-time World of Outlaws champion Brad Sweet will return to Australia for the summer season Down Under.
Sweet has contracted to race the U.S.A. vs WA Speed Week series, commencing at the Perth Motorplex on Dec. 26.
The 37-year-old Californian will join Rico Abreu, Brock Zearfoss and Cory Eliason for the Western Australian features at the Motorplex and Bunbury Speedway.
He will drive the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 for the Landrigan Racing Team.
Sweet’s first race will be on Dec. 28 when he contests the Merger Contracting Sprintcar Muster. This is the second race in the six-round series.
The current leader of the World of Outlaws series hopes to make amends for a less than successful visit to Australia last season.
Sweet contested the 50th Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic last January, finishing 12th in the final at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway.
“We are so pumped to have Brad joining us again this year,” said Tim Landrigan. “We have a little bit of unfinished business after the Classic last year, and we can’t wait to get out there and put on a show for the fans.”
The team owner expressed thanks to NAPA Auto Parts for making this year’s tour a reality.
Sweet is expected to run the Classic again this season, as well as other features in Victoria and South Australia in the lead-up to the showcase meeting at Premier Speedway, Warrnambool in late January.
The Perth Motorplex opened the WA season on Oct. 21. The opening night featured the first round of the domestic Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series.
Dayne Kingshott claimed the 30-lap feature at the wheel of the Krikke Motorsports Mobile No. 2, ahead of last season’s series winner James Inglis and Victorian Jamie Veal.
Elsewhere, Australian drivers have commenced the new season.
Reigning Australian champion Jack Goodyer won the opening feature at Murray Bridge Speedway ahead of South Australian local Matt Egel and Tasmanian Tate Frost.
In Queensland, Lachie McHugh won the opening feature of the season, the Menz Trading & Hire Thunder on the Downs, at Toowoomba’s Hi-Tec Oils Speedway in the Leigh Smith Yachts No. 7 from Jamie Veal and Ian Madsen.