Conquest Racing With Ferrari returns to action this weekend on the streets of Long Beach, as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship enters its first sprint-format event of the 2025 season. The 100-minute Grand Prix of Long Beach will see the #34 Corsa Horizon Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Manny Franco and Ferrari factory driver Daniel Serra, tackle the urban circuit in search of a top result.

The event marks a return to familiar territory for both drivers. Franco made his Long Beach debut last year, while Serra last competed at the venue back in 2016. As they make their return to the urban layout for the 50th anniversary edition of the historic event, the teammates are focused on achieving success. The shortened format reinforces the need for drivers to be on pace from the very beginning. 

In 2024, Conquest Racing qualified third in the GTD class and showed strong pace throughout the weekend. However, contact from another competitor during the race pushed the team out of Top 10 contention, a result the team is eager to move past. 

The team learned a great deal from their experience the season prior, and have been actively going over key points with engineers to be applied heading into this weekend. Furthermore, following a post-Sebring debrief, they conducted a detailed analysis of pit stops and strategic elements in order to improve and maximize efficiency across the board.

Coming into this edition of the event, the team is presently occupying seventh place in the championship standings with a total of 484 points, and remains well within striking distance to the Top 5. 

“Long Beach is unlike anything else we visit,” said Manny Franco. “It’s a short race, a tight layout, and the margin for error is almost zero. We had strong potential last year, and I’m looking forward to building on that experience and delivering the result we know we’re capable of.”

“It’s always a pleasure to return to a street circuit like Long Beach,” added Daniel Serra. “The atmosphere is special, and from a driver’s perspective, it demands maximum concentration from the very first lap. It’s a unique challenge, and a circuit that is completely different to anything else on the calendar. The team has done a great job preparing the car, and we’re focused on extracting everything we can this weekend.”

From a personal perspective, the Grand Prix of Long Beach has a special meaning to Team Owner Eric Bachelart, who won his first Indy Lights race on the street circuit 34 years ago. It has remained a personal favorite of his ever since, and a venue at which he is keen on achieving victory once again. 

Conquest Racing and the GTD field will hit the track Friday, April 11 for Practice 1 at 9 AM PT, followed by Practice 2 at 1 PM PT. Qualifying takes place on Friday evening at 5:10 PM PT and will stream live on Peacock. The green flag for the 100-minute Grand Prix of Long Beach is set to drop at 2:05 PM PT. Fans can tune in on USA Network and Peacock starting at 5 PM PT for live coverage of the race.