Mid-Ohio: Conquest Racing preview

Turning Luck Around
The last time that the Conquest Racing team visited the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course at Mid-Ohio was in 2003 during its time in the CART Series. The team scored a best finish of 10th with Brazilian driver Mario Haberfeld. Conquest is counting on its past experience at the road course, as well as current Brazilian driver Enrique Bernoldi's road course expertise, to turn its luck around this weekend after some very difficult last few races.

Road Course Pro
Enrique Bernoldi is looking to better his results as the IndyCar Series heads into a majority of road courses over the next six weeks. Bernoldi admittedly has struggled on ovals this season and is keen to be returning road racing this weekend. The Brazilian, who acquired tons of road racing experience in his years of Formula 1, is much more comfortable turning both left and right. His best results this year came on street courses in St. Petersburg (5th) and Long Beach (4th).

Camara at Mid-Ohio
Jaime Camara has one start at Mid-Ohio in the Firestone Indy Lights. It came in 2007 when he was driving for Andretti Green / AFS Racing. He registered a starting position of tenth and scored a finish of eighth. This weekend's IndyCar Series race at the 13-turn road course will be Camara's second road course start of the season after he finished 18th in Watkins Glen a couple of weekend's ago.

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 the team 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. Bernoldi led the team's first laps of the season in St. Petersburg (3) while Jaime Camara led the team's first oval laps (44) of the season in Richmond.

#34 Jaime Camara Sangari Dallara/Honda/Firestone
IndyCar Series Starts: 8
Best 2008 Start: 19th (Kansas City)
Best 2008 Finish: 14th (Richmond)
"Rookie of the Year" Standings: 8th
Point Standings: 24th (98 points)

"My last road course experience in Watkins Glen a couple of weeks ago was a really good learning experience for me. Obviously, I'm still learning on this type of track as I don't have that much experience on a road course especially in an indy car but I expect the team and myself to do well this weekend. The team knows the track which always helps and I also raced there last year in Indy Lights. We haven't finished a race in a while and I think this is the place where that can change."

#36 Enrique Bernoldi Sangari Dallara/Honda/Firestone
IndyCar Series Starts: 10
Best 2008 Start: 8th (Long Beach, Milwaukee)
Best 2008 Finish: 4th (Long Beach)
"Rookie of the Year" Standings: 6th
Point Standings: 20th (172 points)

"I'm really looking to turn things around this weekend and it should be easier for us since we are on a road course and the team has already raced at Mid-Ohio in the past. It's been really difficult the last few weeks and things can only go up from here. I'm really motivated to give the team a good result and I'm looking forward to this race."

Eric Bachelart, owner Conquest Racing:
"It hasn't been easy lately and I hope that changes this weekend. We're really motivated as a team to start fresh and turn things around starting in Mid-Ohio. Our team has experience there and that should really help us. The one good thing about our race in Nashville last week is that we came home with two 'whole' cars and that has really made it easier on the crew in preparation for this weekend. We really need to finish the race this weekend and I expect Enrique to be competitive and for Jaime to be not too far behind. Enrique has loads of road course experience and that will serve him well this weekend. As for Jaime he is still learning the intricacies of road racing but he showed progress throughout the Watkins Glen race and that should help him with his performance in Mid-Ohio."

-credit: cr