Team Gears Up For Two-Car Effort In 2003 Champ Car World Series Campaign Manning has built a strong resume in advancing to the Champ Car World Series source: CART.com INDIANAPOLIS - One of the stalwarts of the Champ Car World Series for the last 10 years, Derrick Walker and his Walker Racing team announced their plans today for a two-car, full-season effort in the 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. Walker, who has had at least one entry in the series for each of the last 12 seasons, will field a car for one of the top young drivers in Europe as he announced today that Darren Manning will join the team as the driver of the #15 Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone machine. The team has committed to run a second car, whose driver and sponsor will be announced February 4 at Sebring International Raceway in conjunction with Champ Car Spring Training. The 27-year-old Manning made his first big splash on the North American racing scene in 2002, thrilling a hometown crowd at Rockingham Motor Speedway as he made his Champ Car debut in the Sure For Men Rockingham 500. Manning competed with the Dale Coyne-supported Team St. George and led 18 laps in his debut despite fighting a broken end plate on his rear wing, finishing the day in ninth place. "Darren has demonstrated his ability on many occasions during his career but we were extremely impressed with how easily he adapted to the Champ Cars last season at Rockingham," said Walker. "We are very pleased to have him as part of our team and look forward to an exciting season in 2003." As one of England's top young drivers, Manning has built a strong resume in advancing to the Champ Car World Series. The 1999 Japanese F3 champion and winner of the prestigious Macau Grand Prix, Manning has served as a test driver for British American Racing in Formula 1 for the next two seasons while also competing in the FIA International F3000 series. Last season, he supplemented his testing duties with a ride in the ASCAR stock-car series but returns this season to the open-wheel machines where he made his name. "It's going to be great to have the opportunity to do a full season, especially with a team like Walker," Manning said. "I got a little taste of it last year and ever since then I've really wanted to get in the seat for a full season. I'm really looking forward to it." Walker Racing is no stranger to having success with young drivers, having won Champ Car races with Scott Goodyear, Robby Gordon and Gil de Ferran in the early stages of their careers. The team ran the last two Champ Car seasons with Tora Takagi, helping the Japanese driver earn a career-best fourth-place finish at Chicago Motor Speedway. Manning will make his first appearance with his new team next weekend at Champ Car Spring Training at Sebring, starting his preparation for the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 23.
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