Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Manning is excited about driving for Ganassi

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

Warren Manning admits he has been walking around with a perpetual smile since he was hired by Chip Ganassi to pilot one of Ganassi's Toyotas next season in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series.

Manning just wishes the circumstances of his hiring were different.

Manning, a 28-year-old Briton who drove in the rival CART Champ Car Series this season, was offered the job last week after Tony Renna was killed in a testing accident Oct.

22 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"It was a lot of mixed feelings, really," Manning said Tuesday of his reaction when he got the initial call from Ganassi. "There was a lot of excitement. We had talked to Chip before they signed Tony -- I think I was one of the guys on the short list, alongside with Tony. I probably knew it was coming, that this call was going to be coming, as well, after the unfortunate accident.

"It was a lot of mixed feelings: excitement that I was going to get the drive and a lot of sorrow. I didn't really know what I was feeling ... getting offered the drive in these circumstances I never had come across before and very few drivers do in their careers. Everybody's being very supportive and I want to be as supportive as possible to all of Tony's family and friends and obviously I'll be racing in Tony's memory as well." Manning said he has no doubts about moving to the alloval IRL Series despite recent crashes that seriously injured Kenny Brack and claimed the life of Renna, a former Las Vegas resident.

"You never want to be flippant about it, but motor sport is dangerous," Manning said.

"Driving a Formula One car or a Champ Car around street cir cuits, you're up against walls and bouncing around over manhole covers and things. Motor sport is dangerous but I'm totally confident in the car's safety; it's just a testament that Kenny is as doing as well as he is after such a horrific accident.

"Tony's (accident) was mightily unfortunate and hopefully very rare but the safety of the cars, from my point of view, is without question and I'm happy to be jumping in the cars, really." Especially with one of the most well-funded teams in the series, which is a departure for the former Formula One test driver who will be teamed next season with 2003 IRL champion Scott Dixon.

"I've been racing a long time and very rarely -- I think there's only been one time that I've had a fully funded professional drive and that was when I won the (French GT) championship," Manning said. "Trust me, I've got a very big smile on my face because, inside, I know what I can do when I haven't got all the things available to me that I've got this year.

"This is the earliest I've ever been signed before for a new season. To be testing before Christmas with these guys and pick their brains, it's a lot more unlimited resources than I've ever had before so I'm really looking forward to it. For the last 18 years, I've been working up to this so, trust me, I'm going to revel in it and I'm going to be on top of the world with it."

* KART SUPERNATIONALS: The Rio hotel-casino will host the seventh annual SuperKarts USA SuperNationals Thursday through Sunday on a specially designed track on the property's northeast parking lot.

Many of the top kart racers in the country will compete in the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., openwheel drivers Alex Tagliani, Alex Barron and Eddie Cheever will join motorcycle-racing stars Travis Pastrana, Jeff Emig and Eric and Ben Bostrom in a celebrity race.

All racing events are open to the public free of charge. The SuperNationals will be taped for broadcast next month on the Speed Channel.