Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Mi-Jack not afraid to put teenagers behind the wheel

Wednesday, March 23, 2005 | 9:16 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Andrew Ranger, a Quebec native who turned 18 in November, will team with Nelson Philippe this season and give Mi-Jack Conquest Racing the youngest driver lineup in the history of the Champ Car World Series.

Philippe, also 18, last year became the youngest driver ever to start a Champ Car race at the age of 17 years, 8 months and 25 days.

Ranger makes the jump to Champ Car from the developmental Toyota Atlantic Championship, where he drove for Minden-based Sierra Sierra Enterprises. He finished fourth in the championship and was named the series' Rookie of the Year.

"The difference between the Champ Car and Toyota Atlantic car is the engine -- there is more horsepower in the Champ Car," Ranger said. "Both cars are pretty similar in terms of driving and braking. It's for that reason which makes the jump in Champ Car more (easy) for us coming up through the Toyota Atlantic series because it's basically the same driving experience.

"I think for this year, I have a lot of pressure, but I want to go to Long Beach and see how things go. I think it's going to be a good year."

Ranger finished second in his Toyota Atlantic debut last season at Long Beach -- one of his six podium finishes in 12 races. The 2005 Champ Car World Series season opens April 10 with the 31st annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Team owner Eric Bachelart said his reason for signing another 18-year-old driver was simple after watching Ranger test one of the team's cars earlier this month at California Speedway.

"We've been testing quite a few drivers over the winter; some had more experience than others," Bachelart said. "But at the end of the day, what we were looking for was a driver that had the best talent. The whole team was impressed with the test. After the test, we had to make some quick decisions (and) we felt it was our best option.

"I expect it's not going to be easy, no doubt about it. We have two young drivers. But all together, I feel we'll do well, I really do."

TAGLIANI JOINS WALKER: After spending two seasons with Rocketsports Racing, Las Vegas resident Alex Tagliani has signed to drive for Walker Racing this season in the Champ Car World Series.

Tagliani is coming off his best season in the Champ Car World Series, posting his first career victory (at Road America) and finishing a career-best seventh in the championship.

Walker Racing, which campaigned Mario Haberfeld last season, is expanding to a two-car team this year. Australian Marcus Marshall, a rookie, will team with Tagliani.

FERNANDEZ TO RUN INDY: Mexican owner/driver Adrian Fernandez will team with veteran car owner Morris Nunn and drive the No. 5 Mo Nunn Fernandez Racing entry in this year's Indianapolis 500.

Citing a lack of sponsorship, Fernandez announced earlier this year that he would not drive full time in the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series this season after winning three races in 2004. Fernandez fields cars for Scott Sharp and Kosuke Matsuura in the IRL.

"I am more than ready to get back in the saddle," Fernandez said. "This is a great opportunity to be able to partner with Morris, who I have known and respected for a long time, and put together a competitive program with Honda and with the support of Investment Properties of America."

SPEED TEST: In what is being hailed as the first step toward having an American driver in Formula One for the first time since 1993, Scott Speed will test a Red Bull Racing F1 car Thursday and Friday in Barcelona.

Red Bull Racing bought the Jaguar team after last season and fields cars for drivers David Coulthard and Christian Klien in the World Championship.

Speed, 22, is a winner of the Red Bull Driver Search, which was designed to groom an American driver to race in F1, and is racing in the developmental GP2 series this season as a member of the Red Bull Junior team.