Since their last race of 2007, the Conquest Racing Atlantic team has been busy preparing for the upcoming Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda season, which officially kicks off in Long Beach in April. Before heading to California , the third-year team will be participating in three pre-season open tests starting with next week’s session at Sebring International Raceway in Florida .

Taking part in the test with Conquest Racing are two European drivers, Sébastien Chardonnet and Juho Annala. Both drivers tested with the team at MSR Houston earlier this month.

“The two days we spent at MSR with Sébastien and Juho went really well,” stated Eric Bachelart , Conquest Racing team owner. “They quickly came to grips with the Atlantic car and we want to give them additional time behind the wheel in Sebring to further their development and continue their evaluation all while working on our pre-season testing program in preparation for the start of the season.”

This first open test of 2008 for Conquest’s Atlantic team will be supervised by one of their Champ Car engineers, Eric Zeto, and will also be the first official outing for new Team Manager Derek Higgins. It will also mark the first time that both Chardonnet and Annala, who have competed in different championships in Europe , will be able to measure up to the rest of the Atlantic field.

Chardonnet, from La Gaude, France, participated in the French Formula Renault Series the past two seasons where he finished ninth overall in 2007. The Frenchman also won numerous karting races between 2002 and 2004.

A native of Lapua , Finland , Annala competed in the International Formula Masters Series in 2007 finishing 11th overall, scoring one podium. He was ranked third in 2006 in the British F3 National Class with three wins and three pole positions and sixth in 2005. Annala also drove in Formula Ford, winning the Nordic Championship and claiming second place in the Swedish and Finnish Championships. He also won the Belgium Championship event in Spa.

The Champ Car Atlantic cars will be on-track in Sebring February 5 and 6.