Manning ready to take the oval route towards Formula One

Cart newcomer with grand prix ambition hopes to win permanent drive by excelling at British circuit

The cast of America's best-known single-seater racing series are getting the hang of things on this side of the Atlantic. The principal topic of conversation here yesterday was the weather.

Of course, the drivers were not alone in welcoming the clement early autumn conditions. Last year's inaugural CART meeting at this oval circuit in Northamptonshire was much affected by rain and a "weeping'' track surface, to the deep embarrassment of the organisers.

Subsequent work has, officials of Rockingham maintain, remedied the problem of rising damp, and the forecasters promise fine weather for today's practice and qualifying sessions, as well as tomorrow's race, the Rockingham 500. England's place on the CART calendar has survived a baptism of fire and water but a straightforward weekend this time would scarcely go amiss.

That would also help the cause of the newcomer to the cast. Darren Manning, a Yorkshireman left stranded in his pursuit of Formula One this year, has the opportunity here to remind the racing world of his talent and ambition.

Manning drives for Team St George, the unlikely outcome of a wild PR dream, in a one-off venture which he hopes will lead to a permanent CART drive and, perhaps, a circuitous route to his long intended destination: grand prix racing. He drives a Lola Ford Cosworth, run by Ray Mallock Ltd, armed with barely 130 miles of rookie testing here. In his words, he is on "a vertical learning curve.''

Manning was widely flagged as a potential Formula One driver along the familiar trail of karts and junior formulae, Europe and Japan. The step up to International Formula 3000 and a testing contract with the BAR-Honda grand prix team sustained the momentum.

However, he has spent this year kicking his heels while another BAR test driver, Anthony Davidson, has been busy and attracting attention. Davidson was released by the team to make two Formula One race appearances for Minardi and is among the candidates for a full-time job next season.

Manning remains undeterred, saying: "I've done two years testing with BAR and as far as I'm aware I've done everything that's been asked and expected of me. But this year I've not been in the car and I don't really know why. I've talked to them but nothing's happened.

"I've no regrets, though, about the moves I've made. Formula One is Formula One, and as we all know, a lot of politics are involved. My confidence has not been knocked and I have no doubts about what I can do, given the chance.''

That is an all-too-familiar refrain from a restless, frustrated driver, yet the 27-year-old Manning refuses to be discouraged. His response has been to re-route his aspirations. This race offers him a new shop window.

"I've definitely not given up on Formula One,'' he says. "It's just that things haven't worked out just as I'd hoped of late, so I'm going about it in a different way and I'll see what this brings.

"This puts me in a car and on a racing circuit again. If I can impress everyone here and get a little publicity from it then maybe they will say 'this Darren Manning guy might be something special'. I've not talked to any of the teams in CART because there's no point yet. Hopefully, I'll have good reason to after this weekend. If it leads to a full-time drive it will have been worthwhile. I would certainly relish that prospect.

"After that, who knows? This could be another way into Formula One. If you're not racing and not being noticed you're not going to get anywhere. I'm still young enough and, I honestly believe, I'm good enough. In fact I'm better than I've ever been because I'm more experienced. I've driven just about every kind of racing car there is.''

Whether he can demonstrate that ability in a quickly organised challenge remains to be seen, and he is conscious of that.

"I've known about the drive for only a fortnight and we are the minnows here, no question,'' he said. "But we have good people in the team, people with a lot of racing knowledge and experience. And the good thing about CART, as distinct from Formula One, is that even the little teams can compete and produce good results. The competition is that open.

"Realistically, I want to show that I have the speed and maybe exceed people's expectations. If I can do that then perhaps something long-term will come of this.

"But for now it's good just to be involved and racing in a highly competitive series. It's an exciting venture, taking on not only these guys but an oval, with the banking and all the technique that involves.''

The most competitive of the CART drivers this season has been Christiano da Matta, who has run away from the field to be within touching distance of the championship. Britain's long-time standard-bearer in the series, Dario Franchitti, has virtually conceded the title to the Brazilian.

Da Matta has maintained his progress despite continued speculation about his future. He has been linked much of this summer with a move to the Toyota Formula One team and believes his chances of occupying the vacant seat are 50-50. He, like Toyota, wants a decision within a fortnight.

Another new boy on this scene is Colin McRae, the former world rally champion. The Scotsman drives a Ford in the ASCAR support race. McRae, who had a testing stint here yesterday, said: "It should be a lot of fun but I also want to do well. It's not just a jolly."