INDY LIGHTS: Conquest Racing Signs Kristian Kolby for 2nd Seat

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

INDIANAPOLIS- Conquest Racing Team Owner Eric Bachelart today announced the signing of Danish driver Kristian Kolby to the second seat of his two-car team in the 2001 Dayton Indy Lights Championship, the Official Development Series of CART's FedEx Championship Series. Kolby will drive alongside Brazilian standout Nilton Rossoni, defending champion of the Barber Dodge Pro Series, who was signed to the team in December.

Kolby, 22, won the British Formula Ford Championship in 1996 with six wins before moving on to compete in British Formula Renault and Formula 3. In 1998 he sat on pole at the prestigious Marlboro Masters F3 race, and in 1999, en route to a fourth-place finish overall in British F3, he earned two poles, two fastest laps, one lap record and six podiums. In 2000 he graduated to International F3000 with the French DAMS team.

Kolby impressed Bachelart at a recent test at Buttonwillow Raceway in California. "For his first time in the car, Kristian approached our best time ever at Buttonwillow by 0.1 second and did this time on old tires," Bachelart said. "With his background in F3000 in Europe, he's got good experience in this type of car, and it showed in how quickly he went."

"I'm very happy with our drivers," Bachelart continued. "We've got two young, hungry guys. Both have been champions in the past, and both show a lot of motivation. I'm sure they will push each other hard, and they can both challenge for the championship."

Engineer Glen Griffin returns to Conquest for 2001 and will work with Kolby. New to the team's engineering staff is John Hayes, who will work with Rossoni. Hayes has been one of the most successful engineers in the lower formulae in the U.S., with three U.S. F2000 titles to his credit in addition to experience in Indy Lights with Forsythe Racing.

Conquest's preseason testing continues Wednesday and Thursday of this week at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterrey, California. The 12-race Dayton Indy Lights Championship begins March 11 at the Monterrey Grand Prix in Monterrey, Mexico.

Text Provided By Suzan A. Stadler

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