TA: Mi Jack-Conquest to join '06 grid.

Eric Bachelart's Mi Jack-Conquest Racing team has announced that it will field a two-car programme in next year's reborn Atlantic Championship, joining Derrick Walker's Team Australia outfit as Champ Car World Series teams committed to running a 'junior-arm' in 2006.

Currently running the youngest driver pairing in Champ Car history, Conquest boss Bachelart believes that the introduction of a new chassis/engine package and some major efforts to cut budgets all contributed to his decision to run a team alongside his Champ Car outfit.

"We have put a deposit down on two Atlantic cars and are looking forward to the opportunity to join the Atlantic series in 2006," said Bachelart. "With a spec engine and chassis rules package, the competition should be very close and competing in the series will help us create a ladder within the team for drivers, mechanics, and engineers to get experience and prove themselves before they move up, as we continue to develop and grow our Champ Car operation."

Bachelart agrees that the $2 million Champ Car incentive programme will help serve as a motivating force for young drivers.

"Conquest Racing competed for five years in the Dayton Indy Lights Series, so we have a good background of racing in the developmental categories. We are very pleased about the year-end incentive that the series is offering for the champion, and I know that it will attract a lot of drivers and teams to Atlantic competition."

In addition to Mi Jack and Team Australia, PKV Racing also backs, but doesn't run, Briton Katherine Legge in this year's series.