Heylen set for Champ Car return

The Belgian, joining Champ Car's media tour in Brussels, said: "We're very, very close. I was hoping that we'd be able to confirm it here but there are still a couple of things that need to be done.

"I need to thank the organisers of the Zolder race - in particular Meindert van Buuren  [President and CEO of the Belgian event] and Roger Dejaegeren, Director of Zolder.
Between us we've all pushed really hard for this to happen and Champ Car has been giving a lot of support too."

Rumours suggest that the Belgian will make his return to Champ Car action with Conquest Racing, for whom New Zealand's Matt Halliday competed in the opening three rounds of the year.

Heylen continued: "If the sponsorship deal that we're waiting on can be done soon, it will be with Conquest. That will be a good fit, very appropriate, because Eric Bachelart [Conquest team owner] gave me my first ever test in Champ Car two years ago.

"Also, I come from the Flemish part of Belgium, he comes from the French part so it makes perfect sense in terms of promoting the event. I would be very happy to compete for him. He's a good racer with good people working for him.

"So for now, we're able to announce today that I will be here for the Belgian race, and I'm really happy to be part of it and to be racing in front of my home crowd.

"I have been the face of Zolder, like an ambassador, for the last three years, so it is the ideal situation for us all. But of course I'm hoping it's something more, that I can get racing Champ Cars again from the next race."