King Tut Joining Conquest Racing at the Indianapolis 500

Conquest Racing and Rubicon Sports Agency announce the signing of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis as a major associate sponsor for the 2009 Indianapolis 500 with the upcoming King Tut exhibition “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs” as the focal point of the partnership.

The #34 Conquest Racing entry, driven by Alex Tagliani, will wear King Tut exhibition branding on the engine cover, nose cone and front wings of the car for the month of May. The car will be unveiled at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tuesday at noon. Additionally, a 25-foot statue of the ancient Egyptian god Anubis will be on display in the outside lot at the Speedway Museum during race week, paving the way for the blockbuster exhibition coming to Indianapolis in June.

“I have been working with exhibition organizers for several months to help spread awareness about the King Tut exhibition locally, and I am thrilled that they will be joining our team for the month of May,” stated Jim Freudenberg of Rubicon Sports Agency. “This is an incredible opportunity to expand the reach of IndyCar Series racing into realms that reach far outside sports media and showcase an incredible exhibit that Indianapolis is honored to be hosting.”

“Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs” will complete its U.S. debut run in Atlanta in mid-May and will be on display at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum from June 27 to October 25. The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The partnership with Conquest includes a showcar that will travel to Indiana schools to promote the exhibition and educate the children on this historic collection of 130 artifacts from King Tut’s tomb and other ancient Egyptian sites.

Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis said, “We are excited about the partnership between AEI and Rubicon to help promote the King Tut exhibit at The Children’s Museum. This exhibit will be a great opportunity for students to learn about the historic collection of 130 artifacts from King Tut’s tomb and ancient Egyptian sites. A grant from the Lilly Endowment, Incorporated will also provide 98,000 free tickets for teachers and their students to see the exhibit at The Children’s Museum while it is in the city.”

“We’ve already seen a huge demand for tickets, and expect this exhibition to be a blockbuster for Indianapolis,” said Bryan Harris, vice president of marketing and sales, Arts and Exhibitions International. “This is the first time the exhibition has partnered with a racing team, and this is an exciting opportunity to bring the excitement of King Tut to life in a whole new way.”

Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart added, “The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a must-see for everyone, be it residents of Indiana or visitors to the area, much like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and we couldn’t be happier to be associated with them and the King Tut exhibition for the Indianapolis 500. We’re excited and honored to be promoting such an extraordinary exhibit.”

05 May 2009