Manny Franco (racing driver)

Last updated
Manny Franco
Conquest Ferrari WGI25 04.jpg
Nationality Flag of the United States.svg American
Born
Current team Conquest Racing
IMSA SportsCar Championship
Racing licence FIA Silver Driver.png FIA Silver
Years active2024-present
Car number34
Starts17
Wins1
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finish4th in 2024
Previous series
2024-25
2023

2023
2022-23
2022
2022
Asian Le Mans Series - GT
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
Intercontinental GT Challenge
GT World Challenge America
GT4 America Series
Michelin Pilot Challenge

Manuel "Manny" Franco is an American auto racing driver who currently competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Conquest Racing.

Contents

Racing career

Ferrari Challenge North America

Franco's racing career began in 2021 entering late in the Ferrari Challenge North America season. Competing in the Coppa Shell category, he would find quick success in his first race weekend at Road America, winning on his debut race and finishing 2nd shortly after. Despite competing in only four races, Franco would finish 8th in the Coppa Shell championship. [1]

Franco would find further success in 2022. Now competing for overall victory, Franco achieved five wins en route to a second-place finish in the championship, finishing only one point behind Jeremy Clarke in what would be his most successful season to date. [2]

Franco's involvement in Ferrari Challenge North America would decrease in the seasons following, but he would still finish 5th place in the 2023 season on a part-time schedule [3] , and he'd win two of his four races in the 2025 season. [4]

GT World Challenge America

A year after his debut, Franco would step up to GT3 racing with Conquest Racing, participating in the Sebring rounds of the 2022 GT World Challenge America season. Partnered with Alessandro Balzan in the Pro class, he would finish 4th [5] and 2nd [6] in the respective races, marking his first podium in GT3 machinery.

Franco would return full-time for the 2023 season, continuing to partner with Balzan in the Pro class. The two of them would win both races of the Road America round, which wound up being the first victories of the Ferrari 296 GT3 on North American soil. [7] They would eventually finish 5th in the overall Pro class championship. [8]

IMSA SportsCar Championship

On September 7th, 2023, it was announced that Franco would move up to the IMSA SportsCar Championship as a part of Conquest Racing's return to full-time IMSA competition with Albert Costa in GTD for the 2024 season. [9] He'd once again find quick success with a 3rd place class finish on debut at the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona. Him and Costa achieved their second podium of the year at the 2024 Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen with a 2nd place class finish. At the 2024 Petit Le Mans, Franco and Costa would win in GTD, marking Franco's first, and so far only, win in IMSA competition. The strong result would cap off a 4th place finish in the GTD championship for them both. [10]

Franco returned with Conquest Racing for the 2025 season, this time partnered with Daniel Serra. [11] His sophomore campaign in IMSA wouldn’t yield results as successful as the previous year, however the two would still reach the GTD podium three times. At the 2025 Petit Le Mans, Franco was involved in a multi-car incident on the first lap, causing him to be transported to a local hospital. He would return to the team shortly afterwards without serious injury. [12] Franco would finish the season 7th in the GTD championship. [13]

Franco will race with Conquest Racing in IMSA competition for the third straight year in 2026. [14]

Personal life

Franco was born in Milwaukee and resides in the nearby suburb of West Allis. [9] He regards Road America as his home track but was unable to attend races there growing up. Instead, most of his exposure to racing was at the Wisconsin State Fair Park where he'd listen to cars at the Milwaukee Mile. He'd participate in track days prior to racing. [15] Franco began his racing career after winning a $768 million Powerball jackpot in 2019. [16]

Racing results

Career Summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/lapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2021 Ferrari Challenge North America - Coppa Shell Ferrari Lake Forest41223478th
2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge NTE/MC2 Autosport4000052043rd
Pirelli GT4 America Silver Championship Conquest Racing 20000207th
GT World Challenge America - Pro Cup 20001N/AN/A
Ferrari Challenge North America - Trofeo PirelliFerrari Lake Forest1056661132nd
2023 GT World Challenge America - Pro Cup Conquest Racing 1221041705th
Intercontinental GT Challenge 10000N/AN/A
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Silver Cup AF Corse 100011517th
Ferrari Challenge North America - Trofeo PirelliFerrari Lake Forest83343805th
2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Conquest Racing 10100325774th
2024-25 Asian Le Mans Series - GT AF Corse 601013210th
2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Conquest Racing 10000325347th
Ferrari Challenge North America - Trofeo PirelliFerrari Lake Forest420029211th
Source: [17]

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClassMakeEngine12345678910RankPoints
2024 Conquest Racing GTD Ferrari 296 GT3 Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 DAY
3
SEB
11
LBH
12
LGA
15
WGL
2
MOS
11
ELK
6
VIR
5
IMS
19
PET
1
4th2577
2025 Conquest Racing GTD Ferrari 296 GT3 Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 DAY
11
SEB
7
LBH
16
LGA
3
WGL
10
MOS
11
ELK
3
VIR
6
IMS
3
PET
16
7th2534

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
2024 Flag of the United States.svg Conquest Racing Flag of Spain.svg Albert Costa
Flag of Monaco.svg Cédric Sbirrazzuoli
Flag of Italy.svg Alessandro Balzan
Ferrari 296 GT3 GTD73022nd3rd
2025 Flag of the United States.svg Conquest Racing Flag of Brazil.svg Daniel Serra
Flag of Monaco.svg Cédric Sbirrazzuoli
Flag of Italy.svg Giacomo Altoè
Ferrari 296 GT3 GTD67340th11th


Complete Asian Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClassCarEngine123456Pos.Points
2024-25 AF Corse GT Ferrari 296 GT3 Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 SEP
1

4
SEP
2

3
DUB
2

16
DUB
2

19
ABU
1

9
ABU
2

14
10th32

References

  1. "Ferrari Challenge North America 2021 Results" (PDF). Ferrari S.p.A . Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  2. "Ferrari Challenge North America 2022 Results" (PDF). Ferrari S.p.A . Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  3. "Ferrari Challenge North America 2023 Results" (PDF). Ferrari S.p.A . Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  4. "Ferrari Challenge North America 2025 Results" (PDF). Ferrari S.p.A . Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  5. "2022 GT World Challenge America Sebring Race 1 Results". SRO Motorsports Group . Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  6. "2022 GT World Challenge America Sebring Race 2 Results". SRO Motorsports Group . Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  7. "Conquest Racing Scores First American Victory For Ferrari 296 GT3". Dailysportscar. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  8. "2023 GT World Challenge America Driver's Championship Results". SRO Motorsports Group . Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Conquest Racing Announces Full-Season IMSA Entry In 2024". Dailysportscar. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  10. "2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship Standings" (PDF). IMSA . Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  11. "Conquest Racing Has 2025 WeatherTech Championship GTD Entry Confirmed". IMSA . Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  12. "Petit Le Mans Opens with Head-On Crash in GTD Class, Ferrari Driver Transferred to Hospital". Road & Track . Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  13. "2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship Standings" (PDF). IMSA . Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  14. "Conquest Racing Returns for Full Season 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Campaign". Conquest Racing. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  15. "Manny Franco Heads Home for Road America". SRO Motorsports Group . Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  16. Shapiro, Emily (April 23, 2019). "24-year-old Wisconsin man Manuel Franco is winner of $768 million Powerball jackpot: 'It feels like a dream'". ABC News . Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  17. "Manny Franco Driver Database". Driver Database. Retrieved November 28, 2025.