Although the name of the manufacturer hasn't yet been unveiled by Pedder, it is believed that Renault is his choice of car, and that negotiations have been progressing for many months.
Currently the CEO of the East Coast Bullbars ARC, Pedder hasn't competed since a high speed accident at Scouts Rally SA in 2010.
The four-time ARC round winner and ex-factory Mitsubishi pilot said in an official ARC press release that it is a combination of many factors that sees him back in the driver’s seat for 2013.
“When it comes to the crunch I honestly believe that we are at the cusp of a very special era for the Australian Rally Championship, and as much as I enjoy helping to shape the future of our great championship, I want to be part of it from a competition perspective," he said.
“We will have the team, car and support to win, no question, the unknown factor is how quickly I can adapt to a very different type of car. We will do a lot of testing in January and February ahead of the first round, the National Capital Rally in Canberra. I have some unfinished business to take care of.”
In terms of Pedder’s role as the CEO of the ARC, newly appointed Rally Australia Event Manager David Catchpole, will add the ECB ARC to his portfolio, and Katie Philps, who has been the volunteer ARC Secretary in recent years, will be repositioned as the championship’s Commercial Partnerships Manager.
“It is fair to say that I have put my heart and soul into the re-emergence of the ARC over the past two years, and have been supported by a lot of people that have put their faith in me and the changes and direction that we had to make,” Pedder said.
“There is no way I am walking away from assisting in the continued growth of the ARC, however I am very conscious that I have to manage the conflicts of interest that do and will exist as both an administrator and competitor.
"I am confident that we have the right strategy and the right people to manage this appropriately and to continue the growth of the ARC into the future.“
Chairman of the ECB ARC and Rally Australia, Ben Rainsford says that having Pedder back in the driver’s seat it is a great advertisement for the ARC.
“Having any competitor with a profile back in the sport is great, but there is no greater advertisement for the championship than to have someone who has been instrumental in its recent resurgence deciding to re-enter it as a competitor,” Rainsford said.
“We have a strong new structure around the ARC and I see that this will have no effect on the plans for continued growth within the championship.
"Scott will still be one of the key people within the championship in his role as Commercial Director, but the day to day management and on-event activities will be handled by David and Katie.“
The name of the team's second driver has not yet been announced.
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