King Tut backs Tag.

Conquest Racing's new relationship with the Rubicon Sports Agency has yielded a first sponsorship announcement in the run-up to this year's Indianapolis 500, preparations for which get underway at the Brickyard today [Tuesday].

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis has signed on as a major associate sponsor to Alex Tagliani's assault on the blue riband event, with the upcoming exhibition Tutankhamen: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs serving as the focal point of the partnership.

Tagliani's #34 Dallara-Honda will bear King Tut exhibition branding on its engine cover, nose cone and front wings for the month of May, the livery being unveiled at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway later today. Additionally, a 25-foot statue of the Egyptian god Anubis will be on display in the outside parking lot at the Speedway Museum during race week, paving the way for the exhibition itself, which is due in Indianapolis in June.

"I have been working with exhibition organisers 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," Rubicon's Jim Freudenberg revealed, "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 honoured to be hosting."

The partnership with Conquest is also due to include a showcar that will travel to Indiana schools to promote the exhibition and educate the children on the historic collection of 130 artefacts from King Tut's tomb and other ancient Egyptian sites.