As Spirit of Daytona Racing heads back out on their home track at Daytona International Speedway for some final testing to prepare for the 2010 Rolex 24, they are confident about their chances for a victory in this year’s twice-around-the-clock endurance classic. One factor contributing to that level of confidence is the addition of IRL veteran Darren Manning to an already talented and diverse driver lineup.
While all four of the Spirit of Daytona drivers come from different backgrounds and racing series, all do have one thing in common – their proven success on the racetrack. 2010′s full-time drivers, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia, were brought on board with Spirit of Daytona mid-season in 2009, following their unforgettable Rolex 24 win with Brumos Racing that year. The duo has compiled an impressive list of other victories between them, with Rice’s Indy 500 win and Garcia’s 24 Hour of Le Mans back-to-back wins topping that list.
Darren Manning, best known for his success in IRL and the IndyCar Series, has also been an active competitor in the Grand-Am Rolex Series in the past. He joins teammates Rice and Garcia in having visited Daytona’s Victory Lane at a Rolex 24 race, with an overall 2nd place podium finish in 2007 to his credit. His strong performance throughout the night in that race, driving under very difficult conditions, is widely credited as being a contributing factor in his team’s success in that event. He returned to Grand-Am competition in 2009, racing in the Daytona season opener with Orbit Motorsports, in addition to his IRL appearances during the year. Manning has raced professionally since his early karting days and competed in a number of Formula Series, winning both Japanese and British F3 Series Championships.
Manning joins NASCAR talent Paul Menard, who has wrapped up his third season in Sprint Cup Series competition, as well as appearing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2009. Menard is making an encore appearance with the team, having posted class wins with them on two occasions as a Spirit of Daytona driver in Grand-Am competition. He attended the December testing in Daytona, and will join Manning for the ‘Roar Before the 24′ test days to log some additional track time. The #90 Spirit of Daytona Coyote will appear in the classic Menard yellow paint scheme for the Rolex 24.
Source : Spirit of Daytona Racing