The Canadian driver is actually the one who orchestrated this entire move, as he wanted to show his appreciation towards his former teammate for leaving his racing spot last year to allow him to compete in the series. While they were both driving for Conquest Racing last season, Junqueira was asked to step aside and give his seat to Tagliani during the Indy 500, after the latter failed to qualify for the race.
According to the reports at the time, this move was agreed upon by the team in order to give Taglaini's sponsors a fair shot at IndyCar exposure for the famous race. And, since the Brazilian driver sacrificed his dream of winning the Indy 500 for Tagliani, the latter now pulled all the right strings to return the favor.
“Last year with Bruno as the second driver in the team I was at, he let his spot in the field go after I had a mishap in qualifying. And it turned out, I had a pretty good race at the Indy 500 so it is nice way to say thank you to Bruno for what he did for me last year,” said Tagliani, who used the extra sponsorship his team has for the current season in order to secure Junqueira a place on the Indy 500 grid.
"I am thrilled with the opportunity to compete for the FAZZT Race Team at the Indianapolis 500. The team will give me the resources and support to compete in a car that has the capabilities of winning at the Indianapolis 500," said the Brazilian driver.
“To win at Indianapolis has always been a dream of mine. I've had some very competitive opportunities at Indianapolis and in each year I've led laps and scored two top five finishes at the speedway. I hope that in 2010 I am able to complete my dream of a win at Indianapolis since I have been so close in the past."
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