Race Report: PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300
JOLIET, Ill. Sept. 10, 2007 -- The IndyCar Series' season
finale at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend started out promising
for A.J. Foyt’s ABC Supply team. Darren Manning qualified eighth in
the ABC Supply Dallara/Honda for his best start on an oval this
year.
The PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 presented by Mr. Clean turned into a
different story. At the start, Manning moved into seventh but that
didn’t last long as he started to lose positions after the first
lap, dropping to 12th before 10 laps were completed. By lap 27, he
had dropped to 16th and he radioed in that “the car had no grip in
the draft.”
Several laps later the yellow came out for Marco Andretti who spun
and hit the wall. During the yellow flag pitstop, the team made some
adjustments to the car but when green flag racing resumed, Manning
said the car felt no better.
Foyt called him into the pits seven laps later and made even more
substantive changes under green which cost Manning four laps. The
changes were ineffective and after seven more laps, Foyt told his
driver to park the car.
“There was no sense in continuing to run,” said Foyt afterwards. “He
couldn’t drive the car the way it was and we couldn’t make him
comfortable with the changes during the pit stops. I didn’t want him
to get hurt trying to do something he couldn’t.
“When we get back to Houston, we’ll go over the car and see why it
seemed to change so drastically from the practice to the race. This
was a terrible way to end the season but we will learn from it.”
The team finished 13th in the standings, just two points behind
Panther Racing with driver Vitor Meira. This season the ABC Supply
team earned five top-10 starts (including a fifth at St. Petersburg)
and five top-10 finishes, including two top-fives at Iowa and
Detroit. Overall, it is the best that the team has performed since
Airton Dare finished ninth in the points for Foyt in 2002.
Dario Franchitti won the event and won the title when Scott Dixon,
who was leading, ran out of fuel on the final lap. Third through
fifth in the race were Sam Hornish, Helio Castroneves and Scott
Sharp.
The schedule for the 2008 season has not yet been released by the
IRL IndyCar Series.
Notes & Quotes: PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 at
Chicagoland Speedway
Darren Manning: No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda/Firestone
Darren Manning on racing at Chicagoland: “Chicagoland is another big
pack race much like Michigan. I like that kind of racing where you
can stay in the draft and be competitive even if you don’t have the
fastest car. However, I don’t always like the results (referring to
his crashing out of Michigan after marching from 12th into ninth and
challenging for eighth). I’m looking forward to using everything
we’ve learned on the superspeedways this year to have a good run in
our season finale.”
Returning home: After the final race of the IndyCar Series, Manning
will fly home to England. He and regular pilot Warren Hughes will
race the Embassy Racing Radical SR9/Judd in the Le Mans Series
1000km, six-hour LMP2 race at Silverstone, the circuit Manning calls
his home track. “It’s where I grew up and won many of my major
races,” he said. “I know the circuit like the back of my hand so
it’s a good chance to do well. Plus my family and friends from up
north are coming down to watch me race as well my friends from
Northampton so it’ll be a nice weekend.”
Point Race: With 320 points, Manning is currently 13th in the
standings, two points behind Vitor Meira (12th) and 18 points behind
Marco Andretti (10th with highest finish) and Buddy Rice (11th) who
each have 338 points. For Manning to break into the top 10, he would
have to finish fourth or better and have the above drivers finish
18th or worse. With 22 entrants for this weekend, that is a
possibility. Regardless of where he finishes at Chicagoland, Manning
will have given the Foyt team its best points finish since 2002 when
Airton Dare placed ninth. To date, Manning has two-top five finishes
and five top-10s with a best finish of fourth at Detroit.
Bartlett Roofing, Siding & Windows, located in Bartlett, Ill., is
this weekend’s winner of the ABC Supply Your Name Here Promotion for
its customers. The company name will be put on the top of the
sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Company officials
will receive selected merchandise, race tickets, hospitality and
garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with A.J. Foyt and Darren
Manning. The “Your Name Here” promotion selected winners by random
drawing from a pool of entries sent in by ABC Supply customers
earlier this year.
Past Performances at Chicagoland: Manning has only raced once at
Chicagoland in 2004. He was running fifth when he and Buddy Rice
made contact and Rice’s car was launched into a flip on the
backstretch. Both drivers walked away. The Foyt team’s best start at
Chicagoland was sixth in 2005 with A.J. Foyt IV; their best finish
was fifth in 2001 with driver Donnie Beechler.
The race will be televised live on ABC-TV starting at 4:00 pm
eastern time. Get live timing and scoring at www.indycar.com. |
