Manning takes career-best fourth

The Walker Racing driver also turned the third-fastest lap of the race, but he was upset with himself for making a mistake exiting the pits after his final stop on Lap 213 that might have cost him a podium finish.

Manning entered the pits for the final time in sixth place, and fast work by the Walker Racing crew put him fourth in line as a train of cars returned to the race. But at the blend line - the point in Turn 2 where the cars are allowed to resume racing speed after running on the pit lane speed limiter - Manning's Reynard snapped sideways on the grass verge and he lost the two positions he had gained.

"I was mindful of the guys behind me, it was at the point where we come off the limiter and the turbo boost kicked in," Manning explained. "It got sideways and I thought I was going to hit the wall. I had to give it a bootful and get it pointed back in the right direction, and I think that might have cost us a podium. I think I had one of the fastest cars on the track at the end, which the lap times bear out."

Despite the minor error near the end, Manning was pleased with his evening's work, which lifted him to ninth in the championship standings. "I showed that I can overtake anybody - Paul Tracy was the hardest!" he remarked. "Racing at night was fine. It was just so cold!"