Fifteen-year old tests Champ Car.

Drivers are getting younger every day. That certainly seems to be the case in the realm of the Bridgestone presents the Champ Car World Series powered by Ford as the Mi-Jack Conquest Racing team strapped in 15-year old Richard Phillippe to have a play this past week.

Phillippe, the younger brother of regular Mi-Jack Conquest Racing driver Nelson, who has two years of Champ Car experience under his belt at the grand old age of 19, enjoyed the test at Putnam Park as the fulfulling of a promise made to him by Mi-Jack Conquest Racing co-owner, Eric Bachelart.

"Eric promised me earlier this year that, if I won the Formula BWM USA championship, he would give him a test in his Champ Car," said Philippe, who is some six years away from being able to buy alcohol in America. "I won, so he set up the test."

Philippe was crowned the 2005 Formula BMW USA champion in September, as well as becoming the 'Rookie Cup' champion. He not only won the championship in his first year of competition, but also earned six pole positions and took home the trophy from three of the biggest races of the year. With his win in round eight of the season, Philippe was named the youngest driver ever to be victorious at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In order to prepare the Frenchman for the transition from the 140-horsepower BMW car he competed with in 2005, the Mi-Jack Conquest Racing crew brought along the newly acquired Toyota Atlantic chassis for Philippe to shake down. He turned 15 laps in the car before the team let him loose in the 750-horsepower Reynard Champ Car chassis.

Phillippe set what the team described as very competitive lap times and 'showed great finesse with pit-stop procedures' as he undertook his day to remember.

"Richard looked very comfortable working with both cars," said Bachelart after the test, "He demonstrated great driving talent and provided the team with good feedback."