NORTH Yorkshire racer Darren Manning will start his fourth Indianapolis 500 from the 14th position on the starting grid on Sunday.

In his latest column for The Northern Echo, the A.J. Foyt Enterprises driver previews the big race.

"The hot weather forecast for race day is actually really good. I think we all would prefer it to be warm rather than cold for getting your tires up to temperature when you come out of the pits.

It's a lot safer and a lot easier for that. You don't mind the fact that when it gets hotter it's slicker out on track; you can cope with that as long as it doesn't get too hot and slick.

The wind is the biggest thing. When it was cold and windy earlier this month, that made the conditions really tricky. That wind and cold just makes the car terrible.

"We were quite happy with the car in those conditions, but we just wanted to save it most of the time so we didn't really put too many laps on the car.

"I haven't got a "T" (backup) car that's the same quality as my race car.

"We're always going to get a little wind here at Indy, especially in May, but I think the forecast is for better conditions than we've had so it kind of bodes well for a good safe race.

"The driver who's joined AJ Foyt Racing as my team-mate for the Indy 500 (Jeff Simmons) is ten places behind me on the grid.

"We haven't really gone through any strategies together yet, but we'll have some meetings before the race after we've had our final warm up.

"If there's a chance that we can help each other out in the race - as long as we don't crash into each other - we should be able to help each other at some stage.

"We know that tire wear might be more of a factor than going a full stint on fuel. Especially at the beginning of the race when the track's not rubbered-in, it wears the tyres out a little bit quicker than it will do at the end of the race.

"A top ten finish here is like a win for us. From where we're coming from with the Andretti Green, Ganassi and Penske cars that are out there - you're kind of battling for ninth to 15th already.

"But I think we can get inside that top ten and start battling with the slower of those eight cars if not battle up front with them.

"I was racing with Penske and Andretti Green cars in Motegi when I had a good car so there's no reason I can't do that if my car's good here.

"I feel this is a better, faster car than we had at Motegi. From where we qualified and the downforce levels that we qualified at that speed, that's going to be good for the beginning of the race. I'm going to be faster than the cars that are around me (on the starting grid).

"Obviously, everything could change, but that's the way I feel going into it.

"Living in Indianapolis, it's nice that the track's only 15 minutes from my house. I've got friends here and now that my family is starting to arrive some guys are staying at my house.

"It's nice to stay in your own bed. It's nice to go home and relax and take some time away from the track in your familiar surroundings. And sometimes on those long days with the rain, it's nice not to have to sit in the motor home listening to the rain beat on the roof all the time.

"This feels like my home track for sure and that helps with a bit of confidence and how relaxed you are going into this race."