Darren Manning - 2004 News

Darren's 2004 Season Review
Nov 13, 2004, 15:30

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Many miles, bumps -- and bruises -- later, Darren Manning’s smile and positive outlook remain intact.

“I feel like I had a good rookie season,” said Manning, who was selected last November to drive the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone. “I’m pleased with finishing 11th in the standings considering I missed two races and didn’t finish four due to accidents. I made my presence felt.”

That he did from the outset. Manning began the season with three consecutive top-10 finishes, including a sixth place after starting 13th in the opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway. With a new team – and teammate in 2003 IRL IndyCar® Series champion Scott Dixon – and with limited testing on ovals, he impressed many in the paddock and grandstands.

“This was my first season racing on ovals and I’ve learned an awful lot and those lessons will serve me well next year,” said Manning, who is nominated for the Autosport.com Rookie of the Year award. “It was a tough season and it was an adjustment to a different type of racing. Each track presented a new set of challenges. Working with new engineers and team is probably the biggest thing and that went brilliantly this year.

“I think we learned a lot about working together and it’s especially positive to be able to continue that relationship into next year and build on it.

Manning added five top-10 finishes in the subsequent 11 races (he was credited with 22nd place at California Speedway though he did not turn a lap because of a back injury suffered in qualifying). The injury also forced him to sit out the finale at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I’m disappointed that I didn’t run the last two races, but on the flip side we did run in the top in the last few races,” Manning said. “The good news is that there weren’t any real surprises this year. I wanted to be with a successful team that strives to be better every weekend and they have certainly lived up to my expectations.”

Manning, 29, of North Yorkshire, England, led a total of 12 laps in four races and completed 2,611 of a possible 3,305 laps. He started seven races from the top five rows, including a high of fifth at Nazareth Speedway. A sixth place at the one-mile oval in August was his third top-10 finish in a row.

“In order to win, you have to get ahead,” he said. “That’s the goal I’m always working towards and I’m confident I will grow and be more successful this (2005) season.”

With the addition of two road course events and a temporary street course race to form a 17-event schedule, Manning sees an opportunity to put Target Chip Ganassi Racing back at the top.

“Although I’m very adept at adapting to the changing race circuits, I feel like I got more comfortable as the year went on,” Manning said. “I’m not content with just being a part a proven championship-caliber team and great league. Last season, I made a good first impression. This season, I want to make my mark.”