Conquest Confirms LMP3 Effort for Chouest, Povoledo

Conquest Racing announced today that the team will return to prototype competition by joining IMSA Prototype Challenge with drivers Ross Chouest and Aaron Povoledo. 

The team has registered the No. 25 Conquest Racing Ligier JSP3 Nissan for the full season and will start off this new project at the season-opening Roar Before the 24 event at Daytona.

The former IndyCar team is no stranger to sports car competition, after fielding a successful LMP2 campaign in the American Le Mans Series in 2012. 

Conquest also runs a seven-car Ferrari Challenge operation under the banner of New Country Competizione, with Chouest as one of its drivers, and had fielded a Mercedes-AMG GT4 under the Quest/Ramsey Racing banner in Michelin Pilot Challenge this year.

“We have enjoyed good success with Ross in Ferrari Challenge and this is a great and logical extension to the program,” said team owner Eric Bachelart. 

‘For us it means a return to sports cars which has been one of our goals for years, and it’s only the first step of our program growing deeper and larger around IMSA. 

“We have a brand new Ligier JSP3 from Onroak and the guys are working hard at the shop to make sure we hit the ground running next week at the Roar.”

 Chouest and the team captured the Am championship and third place in the World Finals, and will now look for a new challenge in the faster LMP3 cars. 

For Povoledo, this will mark the eighth year of working together with Chouest but 2019 will see him trading his coaching hat for a helmet as he will drive alongside his long-time student.

“As Ross’s coach I’ve seen him grow from a first time beginner into champion, and I believe the LMP3 car and endurance format will provide the perfect training platform for Ross to grow even stronger,” Povoledo said.

“Eric Bachelart and his crew at Conquest racing have been so good to Ross and I this past year while they supported his Ferrari Challenge season.  We won the championship together and it was a tremendous team effort.

“They take winning very seriously and it shows in the hard and smart work they put into everything. 

“LMP3 is new to all of us but I can already see the excitement and enthusiasm this team has for the project.  I simply cannot wait to dig in with this crew and Ross and start learning about our new Ligier LMP3 car.”