MARCH 25, 2004

A chance for Justin Wilson?

There are reports from the United States that former Jaguar F1 driver Justin Wilson is on the verge of signing to drive for Eric Bachelart's Mi-Jack Conquest Racing in the Champ Car World Series. The team is expected to run Lola chassis this year rather than last year's Reynards.

The link is not surprising given that Mi-Jack Conquest Racing is run by former Nordic Racing boss Chris Mower, who moved to the United States in 2002 after the decision to close Nordic after Wilson won the FIA International Formula 3000 title with the team in 2001.

The team is owned by Belgian-born Eric Bachelart, who moved to America as a driver in 1990, winning the 1991 Indy Lights Series Championship and racing in Champ Cars with Mi-Jack backing in 1992 before deciding to go into business with Mi-Jack owner Mike Lanigan. The team spent five years in the Indy Lights Championship but moved to IRL in 2002 with Laurent Redon. Last year the team switched to CART with Mario Haberfeld, while also helping to run the Fittipaldi-Dingman Racing entry from its Indianapolis base.

While the Mi-Jack company will obviously be supplying some of the budget for Wilson it is expected that other sponsorship will have to be found.

One possible source of income is Michel Jourdain Jr, who is looking a team to run him with his money from Gigante, now that former Jaguar Racing F1 boss Bobby Rahal has decided to switch to IRL. There are rumours linking Jourdain to a third car at Newman/Haas Racing but a deal with Mi-Jack Conquest might work out better for all concerned.