2009 IRL Team Reports: Conquest Racing

IRL Team reports for the 2009 IRL season

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Post by mlittle » Mon May 18, 2009 1:14 am

Conquest Racing to Field #36 ALL SPORT®/BIG RED® Entry at Indy 500 for Bruno Junqueira

INDIANAPOLIS (May 16, 2009) - Conquest Racing and All Sport, Inc. are pleased to announce that they will be fielding an entry for 2002 Indy 500 pole sitter Bruno Junqueira at this year's Indianapolis 500.

"We are very excited to have Bruno join the team" shared team owner Eric Bachelart. "Bruno is a proven winner and I am fully confident in his abilities to come out and do well despite the limited practice time. Bruno also brings with him a wealth of experience racing here at Indianapolis and we look forward to working with him. We are also very happy to have this partnership with ALL SPORT®, BIG RED® and Gary Smith."

Bruno Junqueira, who made 15 starts in the IndyCar Series in 2008, sat on pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2002 with an average speed of 231.342 mph. The Brazilian will be attempting to qualify for his sixth Indy 500 this weekend and despite coming in at the last minute, he is confident he can do well and make the field.

"I'm quite happy with the opportunity to race for Conquest Racing and Big Red, Inc.," expressed Junqueira. "We've talked in the past and I'm looking forward to working with them as they are a very well organized team. The Indy 500 is a special race for me and having the chance to do this race again will be very nice. For sure we do not have much time to prepare but I have good experience at this track and I think we can put the car in the race and have a good showing. I want to thank Eric (Bachelart) and Gary (Smith) for giving me this opportunity as well as ALL SPORT® and BIG RED® for their support. I can't wait to sit aboard the ALL SPORT®/BIG RED® car today for the first time."

Junqueira has led a total of 52 laps and has a best finish of fifth at the Indy 500. The former Champ Car driver, who drove for teams such as Ganassi Racing and Newman/Haas Racing, has a total of 102 starts in the defunct series with eight wins and 47 top five finishes. Last season, the veteran open-wheel driver competed for Dale Coyne Racing in the newly unified IndyCar Series. Junqueira has 19 IndyCar Series starts with two top five finishes.

Conquest Racing is also thrilled to have ALL SPORT back as a partner, this time in a bigger capacity. The sports drink, which provides an optimal balance of fluids to help rehydrate during physical exertion, will be acting as title sponsor on the #36 Conquest car.

"We are excited to continue and expand our ALL SPORT® partnership with Conquest Racing," said Gary Smith, Chairman and CEO of Big Red, Inc. "We had a great experience last season with Conquest and we're very pleased to be partnered with them once again. ALL SPORT® has been a key partner in many auto racing sponsorships in the past and as a result, our plan is to capture the thrill of racing through in-store programs designed to get consumers excited about our connection to motorsports."

"Gary and his Big Red® product were partners on our Rubicon effort last May and it's extremely gratifying to have his ALL SPORT® brand as a partner on this Conquest effort," stated Jim Freudenberg of Rubicon Sports Agency. "This is the culmination of lots of hard work between Gary and I to put a great deal together for all parties involved."

Practice for the third day of qualifying resumes today at 10:15 a.m. with qualifying for positions 23 to 33 getting underway at noon. The 2009 Indianapolis 500 takes place May 24th and will be broadcast live on ABC starting at noon eastern time.

About ALL SPORT®
ALL SPORT® was developed using today's sport physiology research and provides an optimal balance of fluids to help rehydrate during physical exertion. ALL SPORT® delivers real value by combining desired taste with replenishing carbohydrates, 100% RDA Vitamin C and 60 mg Potassium to help prevent muscle cramping while satisfying both thirst and body. ALL SPORT® is available in 12-ounce, 20-ounce and 32-ounce bottles, and is sold at retail stores throughout the country. A subsidiary of Big Red, Inc., All Sport, Inc. is based in Austin, Texas and distributed by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Visit us at www.drinkallsport.com.

About Big Red, Inc.
Big Red, Inc. is one of the top 10 beverage companies in North America with a history dating back to 1937. Along with Big Red, recognized as the number-one selling red soda, Big Red, Inc. also markets beverage brands Diet Big Red, Big Blue, Big Red Vanilla Float, Big Peach, Big Pineapple, Big Punch, Big Honey Lemonade, NuGrape, and Nesbitt's products. Distributed widely throughout the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Pepsi Bottling Group consumers across the country enjoy Big Red, Inc.'s beverages.

About Conquest Racing
Conquest Racing is amongst the longest-running, well-established open-wheel race teams in the IndyCar Series. The organization is recognized for its simple and efficient ways of doing business as well as its approach to achieving excellence in motor sports. Entering its 13th year of competition in 2009, Conquest Racing has amassed pole positions, podium finishes and race wins through its years in different racing series. The team first participated in Indy Lights from 1997 to 2001, before doing a single season in the IndyCar Series in 2002, where they claimed Rookie of the Year honors. Conquest then competed in the Champ Car World Series from 2003 up until the beginning of 2008 when the team made the transition to the newly unified IndyCar Series.
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Post by mlittle » Mon May 18, 2009 1:22 am

Conquest Racing's Alex Tagliani Fourth Fastest on Third Day of Qualifying

INDIANAPOLIS (May 16, 2009) - Conquest Racing's Alex Tagliani was the fourth fastest qualifier today during the third day of qualifying for the 2009 Indianapolis 500. The Canadian's four-lap average of 220.553 mph placed him 26th overall on the provisional grid.

Conquest's Tagliani was one of 14 cars vying for one of the 11 remaining positions in the field. After struggling a little with a difficult car due to the windy conditions throughout the day, Tagliani put in a strong performance during his four lap qualifying run. Tag posted a first lap of 221.104 mph, which was his quickest of the day. He followed that up with laps of 220.834, 220.917 and 219.367 mph which consistently kept him in 26th, placing him in a good position heading into Bump Day.

Conquest Racing will try to qualify their #36 ALL SPORT®/BIG RED® entry on Sunday with driver Bruno Junqueira when Bump Day activities get underway at noon eastern time.

Alex Tagliani #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy

"I'm very happy for the whole team and for our sponsors. It's a pretty amazing feeling to have the chance to qualify for your first 500. The Rexall Edmonton Indy / King Tut car was not easy today. It was the first time that I had to deal with a car that acted differently in turns 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 due to the windy conditions. We made a few changes before heading out to qualify and they were the right ones. The crew and the engineers did a fantastic job."

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner

"It's been an eventful time so far here at the Speedway, but I'm glad that when came time to deliver, Alex did a good job as usual. He put in a solid run and the crew and engineers also did some excellent work. Alex did exactly what he had to do. I'm happy with the day we had. Tomorrow we will work on race trim and at the same time focus on Bruno so that we can put him strongly into the field."
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Post by mlittle » Tue May 19, 2009 9:35 am

Conquest Racing Announces Driver Change for #36 Entry at Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS (MAY 17, 2009) - Conquest Racing announced late Sunday night that they will be replacing Bruno Junqueira aboard the #36 Conquest entry with the team's primary driver Alex Tagliani for this year's Indianapolis 500. The following are statements from the drivers and team principle.

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner
"We had the chance to qualify two excellent drivers today. Unfortunately we didn't have the same fate for both entries despite excellent work from everyone on the team. Bruno has once again shown the world how talented a driver he is and we truly appreciate the work he has done for us in this short amount of time and thank him for his excellent work. Alex didn't make the show and it wasn't for a lack of speed or a fault of his own. He simply fell victim to exceptional circumstances. That's how the magic of Indy works sometimes; it can be good or bad. We've been working with Alex for a long time now and have built our commercial and marketing program around him. He has been our primary driver since the start of the season and we felt that it was in the best interest of the team and our partners to have him in the car for the Indy 500 as we continue to build our future together."

Bruno Junqueira
"I want to thank the team and ALL SPORT/BIG RED for giving me the opportunity to qualify their car today. I was able to go fast right from the start despite not having a lot of practice and that was very rewarding for myself. I really enjoyed working with Conquest Racing, they gave me a really good car and hopefully I can work with them again the future. It's a shame that Alex got bumped out of the field at the end. I knew coming into this that Alex is Conquest's primary driver and that if something happened to the first car that I would likely give him my place and I completely understand it."

Alex Tagliani, driver
"I want to first of all say thank you to Bruno for being so understanding and to the team for taking this decision. We have been building this long-term relationship for a while now and I'm more than thrilled to be able to pursue that by taking part in my first Indy 500. Obviously it would have been much sweeter if we would have had both cars in the show because Bruno and I had fast and identical cars. It's pretty much a fluke that I didn't make the field. We just got caught out. You never want to second-guess yourself but if we had to redo things we probably would do it differently, but now that is in the past. At the end of the day, I'm just really happy right now to be realizing my dream of running in the Indy 500. The team has worked so hard all month and they deserve to be here."
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Post by mlittle » Fri May 22, 2009 2:33 pm

Conquest Racing Gives Up and Coming Driver Experience of a Lifetime

INDIANAPOLIS (May 21, 2009) - Conquest Racing and driver Alex Tagliani along with the Fondation du Sport Motorise du Quebec (Quebec Motor Sports Foundation) are teaming up to give a young promising driver the experience of a lifetime this week. The Excellence program, which is supported by Tagliani, consists of giving up and coming drivers the chance to get an up close and personal look at a professional race team as well as receive training in all facets of the sport from driving to public relations.

The foundation recently announced Jeffrey Petriello, from Terrebonne, Quebec, as the first recipient of their Excellence program.

What does this entitle the 20-year-old racer to? Jeffrey will get the chance to test an Atlantic Championship and Star Mazda car at Putnam Park outside of Indianapolis today as well as receive valuable advice from Tagliani and the Conquest crew and engineers. His experience inside a professional race team won't end there. Jeffrey will also be able to experience the Indy 500 as a special VIP guest of Conquest Racing at this weekend's race and get to attend the Victory Banquet on Monday night in the company of Tag, team owner Eric Bachelart and other team members and partners.

"I can't tell you what it means to me to support this Excellence program from the Fondation du Sport Motorise du Quebec," expressed Tagliani. "When you start out as a driver and make your way through the ladder system and different series, it's important to have people that are there to help you. It's also important to get your name out there, to have people know who you are and I want to help Jeffrey do that. He's a very talented driver and I'm excited to be working with him today at Putnam Park as well as having him as our guest this weekend, so he too can experience his first Indy 500."

Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart also understands the importance of helping young drivers. The Conquest team is known for having fielded many talented rookies who were making their debut in the big leagues.

"I've always liked helping young drivers and there is no better way to gain experience than to live it. Jeffrey will be able to experience what a real test feels like without the added pressure of an official test. He is here to learn all aspects of the sport and we're very happy to have him with us, not only today at Putnam Park but also this weekend as our guest for the biggest spectacle in racing."

Jeffrey, who was chosen based on his age, past results, communication skills, competitive spirit and sportsmanship, has six karting titles. He won the 2007 Formula BMW scholarship and took part in nine rounds of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas claiming six podiums among rookies. As the team driver for SRA Karting he won four rounds in four starts at the 2009 Florida Winter Tour, an international level series.

Jeffrey will be on track today at Putnam Park before heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway tomorrow for Carb Day activities and Sunday for the 2009 Indianapolis 500.
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Post by mlittle » Fri May 22, 2009 2:36 pm

Conquest Racing Confirms Partners for #36 ALL SPORT/BIG RED Car

INDIANAPOLIS (May 21, 2009) - Following the non-qualification of the #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy car for the running of the 2009 Indianapolis 500, Conquest Racing confirmed today that the partners associated with the #34 car will continue their presence at this year's Indy 500 on the #36 entry that Alex Tagliani will be driving this week.

ALL SPORT/BIG RED will remain the primary partner of the car with Rexall Edmonton Indy, King Tut at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, LifeLock and AmazingMail also on board.

"It is in the true spirit of partnership that Gary Smith and All Sport, Inc. immediately came to the team following the 34 car's 'bump' from the field on Sunday to inform us that they wanted to include our #34 car sponsors on the #36 ALL SPORT/BIG RED machine," said Conquest Commercial Director Jim Freudenberg, of Rubicon Sports Agency. "We truly admire the cooperative spirit of our partners and thank them once again for their support."

"The motorsports arena can only continue to grow through mutual respect and cooperation for each other and our brands" stated Gary Smith. "We are fortunate to be able to assist our partner, Eric Bachelart and Conquest Racing, in making sure the family of sponsors on this team, like the Rexall Edmonton Indy, are all able to accomplish their goals in this year's Indy 500".

The logo of Northlands' signature event the Rexall Edmonton Indy will continue to be predominant on the Conquest Racing Dallara with placement on top of the sidepods.

"Northlands and the Rexall Edmonton Indy are thrilled to be riding along with Alex Tagliani in his very first Indianapolis 500 appearance," said Ken Knowles, President of Northlands. "We'll be cheering him on this Sunday, along with race fans across Canada, and look forward to seeing him challenge for the checkered flag at the Rexall Edmonton Indy this July."

Although the Conquest machine will be sporting a new ALL SPORT/BIG RED paint scheme, one of the showpieces of the #34 car, the golden face of King Tut, will again take its place on the cockpit of Tagliani's ride.

"We can't wait to see Tag and Tut together at the Indy 500," said John Norman, president of Arts and Exhibitions International, associate sponsor of the Conquest Racing car on behalf of the King Tut exhibition opening soon at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. "Alex has been an incredible partner, helping us spread the word to children and schools throughout the state about the King Tut exhibition coming to Indianapolis in June, and we wish him all the best this weekend."

Alex Tagliani and his #36 ALL SPORT/BIG RED car will be on track Friday, May 22, also known as Carb Day, for the final hour of practice from 11 a.m. to noon before the Indy 500 race on Sunday, May 24.
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Post by mlittle » Sun May 24, 2009 3:06 pm

Conquest Racing and Conrad Indianapolis Form Partnership for Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS (May 22, 2009) - Conquest Racing and Conrad Indianapolis, the city's first true luxury hotel, have formed a partnership that will see the #36 entry sport the Conrad Indianapolis' logo during this year's Indy 500.

"With the Indianapolis 500 being such a vital part of our community, we are so proud to be represented on the famed oval this Sunday. And we could not ask for a better team to represent the Conrad than Alex Tagliani and his Conquest Racing team," said general manager, Greg Tinsley. "I am so honored to have the hotel paired with such a talented team as Conquest. The level of professionalism and inspiration that Tagliani and his team exude are reminiscent of the personality of our Conrad family."

While the Conrad logo will be present at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the greatest spectacle in racing, a little bit of Conquest Racing is staying at the Conrad. The Indianapolis-based team's King Tut show car is on display in the lobby of the downtown hotel during the race weekend.

"We're very happy to have Conrad Indianapolis on board, it's one of Indianapolis' greatest hotels and it is only fitting that it be present at Indianapolis' biggest race," said Team Owner Eric Bachelart. "We're also pleased to see that our partners are coming together creating great business to business opportunities."

Conrad Indianapolis and Arts and Exhibitions International, also a partner of Conquest Racing, have teamed up to provide Conrad hotel guests front of the line access to the King Tut Exhibit which opens next month at the Children's museum of Indianapolis.
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Post by mlittle » Tue May 26, 2009 10:44 am

Conquest Racing's Alex Tagliani Top Rookie in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (May 24, 2009) - Conquest Racing and Alex Tagliani, who returned to rookie status this month due to making his first appearance at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, posted the best finish by a rookie today at the 2009 Indianapolis 500 on the strength of a solid performance by the driver of the #36 ALL SPORT/BIG RED car and his crew. The 11th place finish was also Conquest's best result at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

In addition to the top rookie finish, Tagliani was the driver who moved up the most positions throughout the race, gaining 22 spots from his 33rd place on the grid. The Canadian driver battled it out on-track but was also assisted by the excellent work of his Conquest crew who helped him gain valuable positions throughout the race during his pit stops.

Tagliani immediately gained a couple of positions on the first lap when Mario Moraes and Marco Andretti were involved in a turn 1 crash. From then on Tag continuously made his way up through the field and was 23rd by the time he had completed his second pit stop on lap 24, making up six positions on that second stop alone. The Indy rookie soldiered on and by the half way mark had made his way up to 14th.

During the second half of the race Tagliani averaged an 11th place, running as high as 10th and fighting to maintain his position with the likes of Dario Franchitti, Vitor Meira, Hideki Mutoh and Danica Patrick. With 20 laps to go, the driver of the Dallara, which featured partnerships with the Rexall Edmonton Indy and the King Tut Exhibit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, was in 11th position, where he stayed up until the checkered flag fell on his first Indianapolis 500 mile race.

11th - Alex Tagliani #36 ALL SPORT/BIG RED, highest finishing rookie

"The day started when I walked into Gasoline Alley and saw the grandstands. It was my first time here on race day and it was quite unbelievable. I'm very, very happy that I had a chance to participate in this race. Our day was pretty simple, we just tried to make no mistakes and stay out of trouble and continue to make up ground toward the front. We also tried not to make any mistakes in the pits and that's exactly what we did. The team did a fantastic job and they did really great on the pit stops. Slowly but surely we made our way to the front. We kept leapfrogging other drivers so we got ourselves into P11. It was a really great job and a team effort. I'm very happy for All Sport, Big Red, Rexall Edmonton Indy, King Tut and everybody that helped us this month. To finish this month in front of all of these people is what it's all about."

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Team Owner

"The team did an awesome job today. Alex drove a great race and the guys did excellent work on the pit stops. It was a real team effort today and I am so proud of everyone. It's been a long month with ups and downs but we couldn't finish on a better high. We're happy we were able to put on a good show for our partners ALL SPORT and BIG RED, the Rexall Edmonton Indy, the King Tut Exhibit, TDS and everyone else that has supported us through the month."
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Post by mlittle » Thu May 28, 2009 2:27 pm

Alex Tagliani Takes Home 2009 Chase Rookie of the Year Award

INDIANAPOLIS (May 26, 2009) - Conquest Racing's Alex Tagliani was honored last night at the 2009 Indy 500 Victory Banquet. After an excellent performance on Sunday from him and his team that allowed him to move up from 33rd on the grid to 11th, Tagliani was selected as the 2009 Chase Rookie of the Year, given to the outstanding first year driver in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. He was presented with a $25 000 bonus prize and the Chase Rookie of the Year trophy.

Tagliani joins the likes of Mario and Michael Andretti, Rick Mears, Arie Luyendyk, Nigel Mansell and fellow Canadian Jacques Villeneuve as winners of the Rookie of the Year award.

"I'm very proud to have won the Chase Rookie of the Year award for this year's 500," said Tagliani. "It's something that you only get one chance at winning so it's very special to have been chosen. It means a lot to me. It's been a month filled with ups and downs and so much emotion and this is the perfect way to close out my first Indy 500.

"I want to thank everyone on the team because without them I wouldn't have been able to do it. It was a great team effort all month and it feels good to be rewarded with this honor. I also want to thank ALL SPORT and BIG RED, Northlands, the Rexall Edmonton Indy, the King Tut Exhibit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis and everyone else that has supported us through the month. I will never forget my first 500. Everything I went through good and not so good has been memorable and I can't wait to come back next year."

Tagliani was one of five rookies competing in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 and only one of two to have taken the checkered flag and completed all 200 laps around the 2.5-mile oval. Tagliani moved up from his last place on the grid through brilliant pit stop work from his team as well as a strong run on his part, fighting with drivers such as former Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti and third place finisher Danica Patrick. The last time a driver had made up so many positions at the Indy 500 was in 2002. Tagliani's performance also gave Conquest Racing their best finish at the Indianapolis 500.
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Post by mlittle » Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:05 pm

Conquest Racing Returns to Texas with 2009 Indy 500 Chase Rookie of the Year

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PRE-RACE NEWS & NOTES

Momentum Builder
Conquest Racing and Alex Tagliani are heading to Texas this week looking to build on their Indy 500 performance registered a couple of weeks ago. The team put in a strong run starting from the back of the field to gain 22 spots and finish 11th in their first oval race of the season. Thanks to his performance, Tagliani also took home Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors.

Returning Partners
A few of Conquest Racing's partners from Indy will be making the trip to Texas. Northlands and their premier event, the Rexall Edmonton Indy that takes place July 24 - 26, will be featured on Tagliani's car as well as Lifelock and TDS. The TDS logo will once again be prominent on the front wing. Finally the golden mask of King Tut will still be sitting high on the cockpit of the #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy car. The King Tut exhibit opens at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis on June 27.

Texas Stats
The team will be making its fifth start this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway and its 53rd start overall in the IndyCar Series. Conquest Racing's best start at the superspeedway came in 2002 with a fourth place on the grid by Laurent Redon. The Frenchman also scored the team's best finish the previous year, crossing the finish line in 11th.

Tag Keeping Busy
The 2009 Indy 500 Chase Rookie of the Year, Alex Tagliani, kept busy last week. After attending the Indy 500 Victory Banquet on Monday night, Tag was home less than 24 hours before heading to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Alex spent time in Edmonton doing promotional work for the upcoming IndyCar Series' Rexall Edmonton Indy race.

QUOTEBOARD

#34 Alex Tagliani Rexall Edmonton Indy Dallara/Honda/Firestone

"I remember my first time in Texas in 2001 back when I was in CART. It was pretty crazy having to cancel the race because of the sustained g-forces. I enjoyed running at Texas back then so I'm looking forward to my first race here this weekend. I'm still fresh from our great run and unbelievable experience at Indy. It was great teamwork. This weekend will again be important for us. We will keep on doing our best and it will be a great opportunity for us to keep progressing on these types of tracks."

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Team Owner

"The race at Texas Motor Speedway is always a great event to take part in and we're very happy to be heading there this week. We had a good run at Indy and we look forward to continuing what we started there a couple of weeks ago at what will be only our second oval race this season. We're also very happy to be continuing our relationship with Northlands, TDS, Lifelock and the King Tut Exhibit."
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Post by mlittle » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:46 am

Strong Qualifying Run Places Conquest Racing's Tagliani 13th on the Grid

FORT WORTH, Texas (Friday, June 5, 2009) - Despite missing out on valuable track time yesterday due to an issue with the engine, Conquest Racing's Alex Tagliani put in a solid qualifying run aboard his #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy car Friday evening, once again showing Conquest's true potential. The Canadian driver, who is taking part in only his second oval event of the season, posted a four lap average speed of 213.173 mph placing him 13th on the starting grid for Saturday's Bombardier Learjet 550k at Texas Motor Speedway.

The 2009 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year put in his fastest lap times of the weekend when it counted most and initially took over 12th spot following his run. Tag was later bumped to 13th when Helio Castroneves completed his run in fourth position. Tagliani's qualifying result ties Conquest's best start on a superspeedway since the team made the transition to the IndyCar Series last season. Franck Perera had started 13th at the season opener in Homestead in 2008. Round six of 17 is set to go green Saturday, June 6 at 9:45 ET and will be broadcast live on Versus starting at 9:00 p.m. ET with the pre-race show. Canadian viewers can follow the race live on TSN2 starting at 9:00 p.m. ET.

13th - Alex Tagliani, #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy Dallara/Honda/Firestone

"It's fantastic. I have to take my hat off to the guys. They did an absolutely incredible job with the car. We didn't have a lot of track time with the issue we had yesterday and we didn't really have time to practice in qualifying trim before going out for my qualifying run today. They gave me a car with pretty much a perfect set-up. The Rexall Edmonton Indy car was on the edge and fast. It was great. It's a great qualifying result for the team, we haven't tested on an oval track this year and it's only our second oval event of the season. I think it's a great testament to how good this team is. Now I can't wait until the race tomorrow night."

Eric Bachelart, Team Owner

"I'm really happy with our qualifying effort. We had little time to prepare with the engine trouble we had yesterday and I think it's quite impressive what we were capable of doing. It definitely says a lot about the team and we've really progressed from last year. Everyone is happy and looking forward to the race tomorrow night. Alex ran well in race trim earlier today in practice and it's encouraging heading into what will be only our second oval race of the season."
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Post by mlittle » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:21 am

Texas: Conquest Racing race report

FORT WORTH, Texas (Sunday, June 7, 2009) - After a strong performance in qualifying Friday night for the Bombardier Learjet 550k at Texas Motor Speedway, Conquest Racing and driver Alex Tagliani kept their form and stayed out of trouble Saturday night while bringing the #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy/King Tut car home in 14th place.

Tagliani, who was taking part in only his second oval race of the season and first on a 1.5-mile superspeedway, started in 13th place. He was able to gain a few positions several times during the race, but a gamble towards the end of the race to stay out and get a lap back didn't pay off as the race stayed green. Tag had to pit for a splash of fuel with 22 laps to go and ended up in 14th position.

Although he had posted good speeds in practice and in qualifying and had a good, stable Rexall Edmonton Indy/King Tut machine on track during the race, Tagliani's car didn't have the straightaway speed needed to stay with the lead pack. Although he gained some positions through his pit stops and battled on track, the Canadian driver saw himself end his first race at Texas Motor Speedway in a fairly satisfying 14th place.

Tagliani and the Conquest team have now completed all four races they have started this season and despite missing two events, Tagliani is making a strong showing in the point standings.

14th - Alex Tagliani, #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy Dallara/Honda/Firestone

"We had a good weekend overall. Unfortunately during the race we just lost speed somehow. We were 3-4 miles off sometimes what we were doing in practice and qualifying. We're looking into it but the guys still did a great job and the Rexall Edmonton Indy/King Tut car was consistent and had a lot of grip. I was flat out for like 95% of the race. It's just too bad that we couldn't come out of here with a better result on paper but we're still satisfied with the progress that the team has done and we're leaving with a smile on our face."

Eric Bachelart, Team Owner

"I think we can say we had a satisfying weekend. We've progressed a lot since last year here and that's always a good sign. We're not too sure what happened tonight to lose speed like that but we'll head back to our shop in Indianapolis and look into it. Everyone once again, did a great job and no matter the result tonight I think there's a lot of positives that came out of the weekend that we can build on."
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:10 am

Toronto: Conquest Racing preview


Oh Canada!

Conquest Racing and Canadian Alex Tagliani are back in action this weekend at the Honda Indy Toronto. After taking a hiatus from the streets of Toronto last season, the team is looking forward to returning to the 11-turn 1.75-mile street course. Conquest and Tagliani's record on street courses this season includes two top-ten finishes at Long Beach and St. Petersburg. The team put in good performances on both tracks and looks to continue their strong form in Toronto.

King Tut Returns

Conquest Racing is welcoming back King Tut as a partner for this weekend. Arts and Exhibitions International have extended their partnership with the team in order to help promote the upcoming King Tut Exhibit, which will be on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario starting in November.

Toronto by the Numbers

Although this will be the first time that the IndyCar Series races on the streets of Toronto it will be the ninth start for both Conquest Racing and Tagliani. In eight starts at the Canadian event, Conquest Racing has a best start of fifth (Justin Wilson, 2004) and a best finish of ninth (Charles Zwolsman, 2006). The team also has four top-ten finishes on the 1.75-mile track. As for Tagliani, the Canadian driver has two-podium finishes (2nd in 2001 and 3rd in 2005) with seven top ten-finishes.

Your Chance to meet the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year

Alex Tagliani will be keeping busy at a number of appearances this week giving you a chance to meet this year's Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. Wednesday night Alex Tagliani will be present at the Yonge-Dundas Square festivities starting at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, the Canadian driver will be signing autographs at the Sears store located at 290 Yonge Street in Toronto from noon to 1:30 p.m. before signing more autographs on Friday at the King Tut booth located in Thunder Alley at the track. Tag will be present from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at that event.
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Post by mlittle » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:30 am

Stunning Performance Places Conquest Racing Fifth on Grid

TORONTO (July 11, 2009) - The day may have started out under dark clouds and thunderstorms but it ended with sunny skies and quite a performance by the Conquest Racing team. Canadian driver Alex Tagliani gave the team its best IndyCar Series start since joining the unified series in 2008 with a fifth place on the starting grid for Sunday's Honda Indy Toronto, ahead of Penske Racing drivers Castroneves and Briscoe and 2008 Series Champion Scott Dixon.

With the morning practice taking place in wet conditions, Conquest Racing and Tagliani did not know quite what to expect when qualifying got underway in dry conditions, but they were confident they had the speed to do well at what is considered one of the team's ‘home' races. Tagliani went out in the first group during round one of qualifying and made it into round two by only one hundredth of a second over seventh place.

Heading into the second round of qualifying, the top Canadian driver of the day had no intention of just ‘barely' making it into the Firestone Fast Six. On his ninth lap, he registered a blistering time of 1:01.0567, which placed him two tenths up on everyone while sitting in first place, sending him comfortably into the final round. After coming close at the first two street courses of the season, Conquest Racing and Tag were finally in their first Firestone Fast Six.

Once the final round went green, Tagliani immediately went out to try and set a fast lap on the Firestone Alternate tires he used in the previous round. After setting a lap of 1:01.8544, Tag came back into the pits for a new set of regular Firestone slicks. On his ninth and final lap of the session, he registered a time of 1:01.6980, which places him fifth on the starting grid for his fifth race of the season.

The Honda Indy Toronto takes place Sunday, July 12 and will be broadcast live on ABC (US) and TSN (Canada) starting at 1 p.m. ET.

5th - Alex Tagliani King Tut / Conquest Racing Honda/Dallara/Firestone
"For a small but talented team like ours, to be ahead of drivers from teams like Penske and Ganassi, it means a lot to us. It's a good reward for everyone on the team and they truly deserve it because they do such a fantastic job. It's also very special to have a good performance like this at a home race in front of my fellow Canadians. It's also nice to be able to offer our sponsors the Rexall Edmonton Indy and Northlands, the King Tut Exhibit, Sears, Craftsman and The Keg a good qualifying result and I'm confident we can follow this up with another strong performance tomorrow."

Eric Bachelart Team Owner
"After missing a few races, we can be very pleased with our top 5 result in qualifying today. It's also very satisfying to find ourselves ahead of teams that compete regularly for the pole position, it's a testament to the talented people we have on the team. Alex drove really well and obviously the engineers gave him a very good car. I'm very proud of what we have done today and we are looking forward to building on this tomorrow."
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Post by mlittle » Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:56 pm

Conquest Racing and Tag Dominate in Toronto but Suffer Heartbreak
- Untimely yellow costs team top result -

TORONTO (July 12, 2009) - They were fast, they were leading and they were dominating, but Conquest Racing and Alex Tagliani also suffered heartbreak at the Honda Indy Toronto today. The team ran in the top two for more than half the race, leading 21 laps, and was possibly on their way to a first win, but everything just melted away because of an untimely caution period. Conquest and Tagliani, aboard his #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy / King Tut car, had to settle for ninth.

After scoring their best start of the season on Saturday, the team was off to an impressive start in the IndyCar Series' first race on the streets of Toronto. Tagliani, who was starting fifth, made up three positions at the start to take over second place behind eventual winner Dario Franchitti. The Canadian had the crowd behind him as he remained in striking distance of Franchitti and ahead of Scott Dixon and they cheered even more when he took over the lead on lap 25 following the leader's early pit stop.

Tagliani remained in the lead fighting with drivers such as Paul Tracy and Dixon, up until his first pit stop on lap 34. With other drivers having pitted during an early caution period, Tagliani found himself seventh, but once the pit stops had cycled through he was once again in the lead. Everything was looking good for the Conquest squad as Tagliani seemed untouchable. But then came heartbreak on lap 59 when a yellow flag flew for an incident in the infamous Turn 3 of the 1.75-mile, 11-turn street course.

Because of the rule that requires officials to close the pits during the first laps of a full course caution, Tagliani couldn't immediately pit to keep his advantage. The team's performance was now in vain, since the yellow advantaged cars that had pitted earlier including Franchitti who had just pitted. Tagliani wound up 11th at the time.

Following some on-track incidents and a few passes, Tagliani ended his ninth start on the streets of Toronto in ninth place. The result was the team's third consecutive top-ten finish on a street course this season.

9th - Alex Tagliani Rexall Edmonton Indy/King Tut Honda/Dallara/Firestone "It's very unfortunate to dominate like this in a race and lose it by a 'pits are closed' rule, it's a little bit disappointing but what can I say. We were kind of the victim of our own performance. The car was great on tires and fuel. I was driving a really good race, and I didn't have the need to pit. Guys were pitting behind us and when the yellow came out because of an incident, I couldn't pit to keep the advantage I had. That rule really destroyed our whole race. It's a shame to see it slip away between our fingers. But in the end, we came here and we showed that we could be faster than anybody else."

Eric Bachelart Team Owner "It's hard to accept that we can lose a race when we have been dominating the whole time because of a yellow. I really think that the officials should have a hard look at their rules. I think that too many times we have seen the leader lose the race because of a yellow. The current rules do not always reward the best car and driver on the track and it becomes a bit of a gambling exercise. This being said, I very much appreciate the team effort and Alex's brilliant driving today. It's obviously a very disappointing result, but we proved we have the potential to win a race and hopefully it will happen soon."
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:45 am

REXALL EDMONTON INDY PRE-RACE NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES

Continued Partnerships
Conquest Racing's #34 Dallara will once again be sporting the logo of Northlands' premier event, the Rexall Edmonton Indy, on its sidepods at the event of the same name. Also continuing to partner with the team, after first appearing on the car driven by Alex Tagliani at the Honda Indy Toronto two weeks ago, is Canada's number-one steakhouse, The Keg Steakhouse and Bar as well as Canada's most trusted retailer, Sears Canada and its CRAFTSMAN brand.

Local industrial torque tool company, TorcUp of Canada has returned as a partner of Conquest Racing's after making its first appearance with the team in Long Beach earlier this season. Additionally, OOMPH! Events, an Edmonton-based full-service company that provides strategy, program, marketing sponsorship, technology and production solutions, the Westin Edmonton hotel and Driving Force, one of Canada's largest vehicle suppliers have all joined the team's family of partners for this weekend's event.

Continued Momentum 'at Home'
After showing their strength on the streets of Toronto two weeks ago, the team and driver Tagliani will be looking to continue what they started at the Honda Indy Toronto at what can be called the team's 'home race' due to their partnership with Northlands, the event organizers. The team is coming off an outstanding performance, which saw Tagliani lead 21 laps before being caught out by a costly yellow flag. In three street course races this season, the team has collected three top-ten finishes with a best finish of ninth and best start of fifth.

Fifth Anniversary
While the City Centre Airport will be hosting a major open-wheel racing series for the fifth year, Conquest Racing will be making its eighth start at the 1.96-mile temporary street course. The team has a best start of eighth and finish of seventh, which were both scored in 2006 by Canadian driver Andrew Ranger. Since the first race in 2005, Conquest has four top ten finishes at the Canadian circuit.

One-Year Anniversary
Do you know where Alex Tagliani was one year ago at this time? He was in Edmonton of course, on the highest step of the podium. After finding himself without a ride following the unification of open-wheel racing, Tag made a venture into the NASCAR Canada series and scored his first victory in the stock car series at the Rexall Edmonton Indy in 2008.

The personable Canadian will try to add to those unforgettable memories this year. In his past three starts in an open-wheel car at Rexall Speedway, Tag has collected a best start of sixth and a best finish of seventh in 2005.

Here, There and Everywhere
It's not because the on-track activities only start on Friday in Edmonton that it means Tagliani has had a week to rest and prepare for the upcoming race. Tag has been hard at work since he arrived in Edmonton on Saturday. Last Sunday, Alex spent a few hours with the folks at Carefree RV before meeting with media members at Rexall Place on Monday. Tuesday, he gave out pointers to some lucky people at a drive day with Sun Media before attending the Chairman's Reception at City Hall. Wednesday was filled with a stop at the Driving Force offices and a visit to the Konica Minolta house.

That's just the beginning, he then took part in an autograph session at the Sears store at the Garden Mall on Kingsway on Thursday before heading to TorcUp of Canada's charity karting event at Stratotech Park to help raise funds for the Kids With Cancer Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

On Friday at 2:15 p.m. local time, Alex, the Conquest team, Northlands and OOMPH! Events will be hosting a group of 25 to 30 children from the Kids Up Front Foundation at the team transporter.

QUOTEBOARD

#34 Alex Tagliani Rexall Edmonton Indy Dallara/Honda/Firestone
"This weekend is a very important weekend for us at the Rexall Edmonton Indy. It's our home event and I've been looking forward to it. We've become part of the Northlands family and really want to do well at their event. It's been a busy week for me with sponsor and media appearances and now I look forward to getting back in the car and continuing what we started two weeks ago in Toronto, however this time with a better outcome. The track at Rexall Speedway is one of my favorites and I have very good memories from this event, especially last season when I won in the NASCAR Canada Series. I wouldn't mind adding to those memories."

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Team Owner
"We have been really looking forward to this weekend at the Rexall Edmonton Indy. Not just because we've been working closely with the people at Northlands, the event organizers, since the beginning of the season, but because it is one of the best events on the IndyCar Series schedule. We're coming off a strong performance at Toronto two weeks ago and are carrying very good momentum heading into this weekend. We're confident we can continue that performance in Edmonton. We're also very pleased to be welcoming new and returning partners, Northlands and the Rexall Edmonton, Sears, CRAFTSMAN, The Keg, TorcUp of Canada, OOMPH! Events, the Westin Edmonton and Driving Force and I would like to thank them for their support this weekend."
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