The following is a series of stats, notes and quotes from Conquest Racing for this weekend’s SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway.
SunTrust Indy Challenge
Richmond International Raceway, .75-mile D-shaped oval
June 26 – June 28, 2008, Race #9
Race Distance: 300 laps (225 miles)
Broadcast: ESPN2, 8:00 pm ET
CONQUEST RICHMOND STATS
Races at Richmond International Raceway: 1 (IndyCar Series)
Best IndyCar Series Finish: 15th (L. Redon)
Best IndyCar Series Start: 4th (L. Redon)
RICHMOND PRE-RACE NOTES
Return to Richmond
Conquest Racing will be making their 25th IndyCar Series start this weekend and second at Richmond International Raceway. Their first start at the .75-mile oval came in 2002 with Frenchman Laurent Redon who scored a fourth place starting spot.
Rookies Enrique Bernoldi (#36 Sangari) and Jaime Camara (#34 Sangari) will be competing for the first time at Richmond International Raceway. However, Camara is familiar with the track for having tested there in 2007 with Andretti Green Racing’s IndyCar Series team.
Progression Continues
The Conquest Racing team has been making constant progress on ovals since the start of the season. Both drivers have been running well in the last few races but the results have not been showing up on paper for different reasons.
After a strong start in Iowa which was dampened by a defective battery on Camara’s car and a late race spin by Bernoldi the goal for Richmond this weekend is to finally come home with a strong result.
Daddy to be
Jaime Camara and wife Geovanna are expecting their first child today, Wednesday, June 25. The couple is expecting a baby boy that they plan on calling Lucca .
Camara won’t be able to spend much time with his son though, he is flying out to Richmond this evening to take part in the rookie practice session on Thursday before race weekend activities get underway on Friday.
Best of Conquest 2008
Conquest scored its best oval starting position of the season with Enrique Bernoldi with an eighth spot on the grid in Milwaukee and achieved its best combined effort when they placed both drivers in the top six in Long Beach in April at the Champ Car World Series finale.
The team also completed their first Indianapolis 500 this year when Bernoldi took the checkered flag on the lead lap in 15th place. It was the Brazilian’s first oval finish of the season.
QUOTEBOARD
#34 Jaime Camara Sangari Dallara/Honda/Firestone
IndyCar Series Starts: 5
Best 2008 Start: 19th (Kansas City)
Best 2008 Finish: 20th (Iowa)
"Rookie of the Year" Standings: 9th
Point Standings: 28th (58 points)
"I tested at Richmond with Andretti Green in 2007. It’s a track that I like and that requires more from the driver. It also depends on the set-up but the driver makes a bigger difference there than at other oval tracks. You need to be very patient in Richmond because it is a long race.
I think we will do well this weekend with the Conquest Racing team. We have made really good progress since the beginning of the season and if everything goes right we can have a good weekend."
#36 Enrique Bernoldi Sangari Dallara/Honda/Firestone
IndyCar Series Starts: 7
Best 2008 Start: 8th (Long Beach, Milwaukee)
Best 2008 Finish: 4th (Long Beach)
"Rookie of the Year" Standings: 5th
Point Standings: 18th (138 points)
"I’ve been disappointed with my results in the last few races. We’ve been running strong but something always seems to happen before the end of the race that takes away the finish that we deserve.
I’m really focused on changing that in Richmond this weekend. The team has been doing an awesome job and putting in long hours on the road and at the shop and everyone deserves a satisfying result, my goal this weekend is to give that to them."
Eric Bachelart, owner Conquest Racing:
"I’m looking forward to a good weekend in Richmond . We are on the verge of finally getting the result that will show all the progression that the team has made so far this season.
The whole team has been doing a great job and a good result will help keep the momentum going with this string of back-to-back-to-back race weekends. Both Enrique and Jaime have been constantly improving as has the team and hopefully we will have what will be a breakout performance for us in Richmond ."
CONQUEST RACING AT A GLANCE
2008 SEASON
IndyCar Series Races: 7
Best Start: 8th (Milwaukee, - Enrique Bernoldi)
Best Finish: 5th (St. Petersburg, - Enrique Bernoldi)
Champ Car Races: 1 (Long Beach)
Best Start: 3rd (Franck Perera)
Best Finish: 4th (Enrique Bernoldi)
IndyCar Series Overall
IndyCar Series Races: 24
Best Start: 4th (Dallas, Richmond , Kansas City, 2002 – Laurent Redon)
Best Finish: 2nd (Fontana, 2002 – Laurent Redon)
-Karina Redmond -
