Firestone Indy Lights champion Jean-Karl Vernay says he is struggling to raise the funding to break into IndyCar this season.
The 23-year-old Frenchman abandoned his Formula 3 Euro Series stint to switch to American racing in 2010 and won the Lights title at the first attempt. He then made his IndyCar testing debut with Conquest earlier in the winter, but with the season opener in St. Petersburg less than a month away, Vernay is becoming pessimistic about his chances of making it into the field.
"For a long time I believed in my chances of doing a full season, or at worst a partial one, in the IndyCar Series, but my main partner has pulled out," he said. "Today, I'm free of all contracts and 100 percent ready to become involved in any major program in Europe or the United States."
In addition to giving Vernay a winter run, Conquest has also been working to put together a deal with 2003 Champ Car champion Paul Tracy and is giving Indy Lights race winner Pippa Mann a test at Texas Motor Speedway this week.