Wednesday

Conquest Racing and TAG Back in Action on the Streets of Toronto

Conquest Racing Logo

Honda Indy Toronto

Streets of Toronto, 1.75-mile, 11-turn street course

July 10 – 12, 2009, Race #10 of 17

Race Distance: 80 laps

Live Broadcast: (US) ABC 1:00 p.m. ET, (Canada) TSN 1:00 p.m. ET

HONDA INDY TORONTO PRE-RACE NEWS & NOTES

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.

Lucky winners

Fans, who get an autograph from Tag on Friday during the autograph session at the King Tut booth, will also get a chance to win a limited-edition pair of Alex Tagliani sunglasses.

QUOTEBOARD

2009 IndyCar Series starts: 4

Best start: 7th (St. Petersburg)

Best Finish: 10th (twice, St. Petersburg, Long Beach)

Points Standings: 21st (75 points)

Overall IndyCar Series starts: 7

Best start: 7th (St. Petersburg – 2009)

Best Finish: 4th (Australia, 2008 – non-championship event)

“I’ve been really looking forward to this race and racing back home in Canada. It’s an important race for me and it’s always a pleasure to be in front of the home crowd. The Toronto track is a really fun and challenging track. What I like most about it is that there is a good mix of different types of corners, which makes going into each section of the track different from the next.

We’ve done well on street courses this season and I think Toronto will be no different. Hopefully we can give our Canadian based sponsors like a good finish. I’m also really excited to be promoting the King Tut Exhibit once again, it’s such an awesome exhibition, and everyone needs to go see it.”

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Team Owner

“We’re really excited to be heading to Toronto this weekend. It’s always a great city to go to for a race and we’re happy to have it back on the schedule. We’ve had good performances on the street courses this year and we are confident we can continue our strong form. We’re also extremely pleased to be partnered again with the King Tut Exhibit and Arts and Exhibitions International.”

- Conquest Racing Press Release