Ernie Francis Jr.

Ernie Francis Jr.
Ernie Francis Jr.
	Francis at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2018
Born	January 23, 1998 (age 26); Davie, Florida, United States
Indy Lights career
	16 races run over 2 years
Team(s)	No. 99 (HMD Motorsports with Force Indy)
First race	2022 Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Last race	2023 Indy NXT Grand Prix of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
Previous series
2013–21 ; 2021 ; 2021 ; ; 2018 ; 2017 ; 2017 ; 2013–17	Trans-Am Series ; Superstar Racing Experience ; Formula Regional Americas Championship ; NASCAR K&N Pro Series East ; SprintX GT Championship Series ; NASCAR Xfinity Series ; Pirelli World Challenge
Championship titles
2014–2020	Trans-Am Series

Last updated April 06, 2024

Ernie Francis Jr. (born January 23, 1998) is an American sports car racing and stock car racing driver who currently competes in Indy NXT driving for Force Indy.^[1] He previously ran full time in the Trans-Am Series, running the 98 car for Breathless Racing, where he is a seven-time champion. In 2021, he competed in the Formula Regional Americas Championship running the 98 car for Future Star Racing, and in the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience, driving the No. 2 car. He became the youngest winner in the SRX series when he won at Lucas Oil Raceway. He secured 2nd place in the SRX championship. When he is not racing, he works at the family race shop - Breathless Racing Team - run by his father (Ernie Francis Sr.) and stepmother (Monica Zima Francis) in Davie, FL. He has also competed part-time in NASCAR in the past in both the Xfinity Series and the East Series.

Racing career

NASCAR Xfinity Series

In 2017, Francis Jr. made his NASCAR debut, driving the No. 13 Toyota for MBM Motorsports in a partnership with NextGen Motorsports ^[2] at Road America. He started 38th and finished 39th due to engine problems.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

In 2018, Francis Jr. began racing in the Pro Series East, driving the No. 42 Toyota for Max Siegel's Rev Racing team.^[3]^[4] He began on the pole position at Millville and finished second to Will Rodgers. He returned for the Watkins Glen race, where he started 19th and finished 11th.^[5]

In 2019, Francis Jr. returned to Siegel's Rev Racing team as part of the Drive for Diversity driver development program.^[6]

Trans Am Series

Francis Jr. has won seven consecutive Trans-Am Series championships.^[7]

Indy Lights

For the 2022 racing season, Francis Jr. signed to drive for the Force Indy team in the Indy Lights series. Francis Jr.'s hiring came as part of an initiative by the Force Indy team to give African-American drivers and mechanics opportunities to enter open-wheel racing.^[1]

Motorsports career results

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
2013	Trans-Am Series - TA3	Breathless Performance	1	0	1	1	1	18	18th
	Pirelli World Challenge - GTS		2	0	0	0	0	64	43rd
	Pirelli World Challenge - TCB		14	7	7	6	9	1345	3rd
2014	Trans-Am Series - TA3A	Breathless Performance	9	5	7	7	9	316	1st
	Pirelli World Challenge - GTS		1	0	0	0	0	0	40th
	Pirelli World Challenge - TCA		13	3	0	3	11	1366	3rd
2015	Trans-Am Series - TA3A	Breathless Performance	12	8	12	10	8	249	1st
2015	Pirelli World Challenge - TC	Breathless Performance	18	4	4	5	10	1621	2nd
2016	Trans-Am Series - TA3	Breathless Performance	2	0	1	1	1	54	16th
	Trans-Am Series - TA4	Breathless Performance	10	9	8	10	10	338	1st
	Pirelli World Challenge - GTS	Breathless Racing	4	0	0	0	0	268	21st
	Pirelli World Challenge - TC	Breathless Racing	2	0	0	0	0	37	32nd
2017	Trans-Am Series - TA	Breathless Pro Racing	13	10	7	10	11	386	1st
	NASCAR Xfinity Series	MBM Motorsports	1	0	0	0	0	1	84th
	Pirelli World Challenge - GTS	PF Racing	4	0	0	0	1	59	19th
	SprintX GT Championship Series - GTS Pro-Am	PF Racing	1	1	0	1	1	25	3rd
2018	Trans-Am Series - TA	Breathless Racing	11	5	3	3	7	279	1st
	Trans-Am Series - TA2	ECC Motorsports	5	0	0	0	1	88	15th
	NASCAR K&N Pro Series East	Max Siegel	2	0	1	0	1	76	28th
2019	Trans-Am Series - TA	Breathless Racing	11	4	5	4	8	316	1st
2020	Trans-Am Series - TA	Breathless Pro Racing	9	4	3	4	6	253	1st
2021	Formula Regional Americas Championship	Future Star Racing	18	3	0	0	4	160	3rd
	Trans-Am Series - TA	Future Star Racing	11	1	4	4	4	257	3rd
	SRX Series	N/A	6	1	0	1	2	192	2nd
2022	Indy Lights	Force Indy	14	0	0	0	0	299	10th
2022	SRX Series	N/A	3	0	0	0	0	58	11th
2023	Indy NXT	HMD Motorsports with Force Indy	13	0	0	0	1	300	9th
2023	SRX Series	N/A	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC†
2024	Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America - Pro	TR3 Racing

SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Year	Track	Car	Engine	Class	Finish	Start	Status
2019	VIR	Ford Mustang	Ford	GT-1	1	2	Running
2020	Road America	Ford Mustang	Ford	GT-1	12	1	Retired

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	NXSC	Pts	Ref
2017	MBM Motorsports	13	Toyota	DAY	ATL	LVS	PHO	CAL	TEX	BRI	RCH	TAL	CLT	DOV	POC	MCH	IOW	DAY	KEN	NHA	IND	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI	ROA 39	DAR	RCH	CHI	KEN	DOV	CLT	KAN	TEX	PHO	HOM	84th	1	^[8]

K&N Pro Series East

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	NKNPSEC	Pts	Ref
2018	Rev Racing	42	Toyota	NSM	BRI	LGY	SBO	SBO	MEM	NJM 2	TMP	NHA	IOW	GLN 11	GTW	NHA	DOV	28th	76	^[9]

Superstar Racing Experience

(key) * – Most laps led. ¹ – Heat 1 winner. ² – Heat 2 winner.

Superstar Racing Experience results
Year	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	SRXC	Pts
2021	2	STA 6	KNX 3	ELD 8	IRP 1*	SLG 6	NSV 6	2nd	161
2022	5	FIF 11	SBO 7	STA	NSV			11th	58
2022	99					I55 6	SHA	11th	58
2023	99	STA	STA II	MMS	BER	ELD	IRP 11	25th	0¹

American open-wheel racing results

(key)

Indy Lights/Indy NXT

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Rank	Points
2022	Force Indy	STP 7	ALA 8	IMS 9	IMS 10	DET 9	DET 10	RDA 10	MDO 11	IOW 8	NSH 11	GTW 9	POR 8	LAG 11	LAG 13	10th	299
2023	HMD Motorsports with Force Indy	STP 6	ALA 8	IMS1	DET 3	DET 7	RDA 12	MDO 13	IOW 8	NSH 18	IMS2 14	GTW 8	POR 7	LAG 7	LAG 8	9th	300

^* Season still in progress

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References

1 2 Furst, Dave (January 27, 2022). "African American-led Force Indy rises to Indy Lights with Francis". IndyCar.com. Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
↑ "Ernie Francis Jr. set for NASCAR Xfinity Series debut". Speedsport.com. August 24, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
↑ "Trans-Am champ Ernie Francis Jr. set for NASCAR K&N race". June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
↑ Spencer, Reid (November 7, 2017). "Unveil of 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity class marks emphasis on seat time" . Retrieved March 13, 2019.
↑ Segal, Davey (August 3, 2018). "Late-race heroics earn Brett Moffitt Watkins Glen NASCAR K&N East victory" . Retrieved March 13, 2019.
↑ "NASCAR announces Drive for Diversity program's Class of 2019". December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
↑ James, Richard (February 27, 2019). "Storylines building ahead of 2019 Trans Am curtain-raiser" . Retrieved March 13, 2019.
↑ "Ernie Francis, Jr. – 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
↑ "Ernie Francis, Jr. – 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 13, 2019.

External links

Ernie Francis Jr. driver statistics at Racing-Reference

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[:0-1] 1 2 Furst, Dave (January 27, 2022). "African American-led Force Indy rises to Indy Lights with Francis". IndyCar.com. Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

[2] "Ernie Francis Jr. set for NASCAR Xfinity Series debut". Speedsport.com. August 24, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2020.

[3] "Trans-Am champ Ernie Francis Jr. set for NASCAR K&N race". June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.

[4] Spencer, Reid (November 7, 2017). "Unveil of 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity class marks emphasis on seat time" . Retrieved March 13, 2019.

[5] Segal, Davey (August 3, 2018). "Late-race heroics earn Brett Moffitt Watkins Glen NASCAR K&N East victory" . Retrieved March 13, 2019.

[6] "NASCAR announces Drive for Diversity program's Class of 2019". December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.

[7] James, Richard (February 27, 2019). "Storylines building ahead of 2019 Trans Am curtain-raiser" . Retrieved March 13, 2019.

[8] "Ernie Francis, Jr. – 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 13, 2019.

[9] "Ernie Francis, Jr. – 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 13, 2019.

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