Chris Estrada and Indy Racing Revolution points us to an article that finds the Conquest Racing team revealing in an oh-so-stealthy way that Alex Tagliani will be manning the helm of one of their two cars.
On page 9 of Conquest's new marketing brochure – of the kind sent out to prospective sponsors – it states:Get your water cooler ready, because the article also summarizes the following drivers as available for employment.
The team "will field two cars in the 2009 IndyCar Series. With Alex Tagliani, the team will have a wily veteran with the experience and commitment to continue moving the team forward. Joining Tagliani will be a driver of equal gift and grit to round out a balanced driver package."
(MORE from The Star)
• AJ Allmendinger
• Sebastien Bourdais
• Patrick Carpentier
• Paul Tracy
• J.J. Yeley
So if you have a few million laying around you could always have a conversation with one of these fine gentlemen. However, it would seem the following drivers have already been drafted into full-time service for 2009.
• Marco Andretti (Andretti Green Racing)
• Ed Carpenter (Vision Racing)
• Helio Castroneves (Team Penske)
• Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi Racing)
• AJ Foyt IV (Vision Racing)
• Dario Franchitti (Target Chip Ganassi Racing)
• Ryan Hunter-Reay (Rahal Letterman Racing)
• Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green Racing)
• Hideki Mutoh (Andretti Green Racing)
• Danica Patrick (Andretti Green Racing)
• Alex Tagliani (Conquest Racing)
• Dan Wheldon (Panther Racing)
I’m sure the braintrust at TSO will let me know if I missed anyone who has been confirmed.
(Photo by Bill Zahren/pressdog.com)
Now would be a really good time for me to win the Powerball....
Yay full-time Tags! He can take TK's place on my root for list.
Nothing is "official" yet where Tags is concerned.
Yes they have him listed in their marketing brochure, but it is more like preemptive bait for sponsorship rather than a set in stone conclusion... (if that makes any sense)
At least that was the answer I got a few days ago.
Bottomline is that he wants to be there fulltime next year and they want him there fulltime next year, but nothing has been signed and won't be until there is some serious $$ in place.
Put it this way, no one is counting the chickens in their basket of eggs...