A hard-earned podium at the Grand Prix of Long Beach marked a strong debut to the West Coast swing for Conquest Racing as the team delivered a stellar performance across 100 minutes of intense street racing.

Behind the wheel of the No. 34 Corsa Horizon Ferrari 296 GT3, Manny Franco took the start from 7th on the starting grid. A well-managed opening stint kept the No. 34 in the fight before handing over to Albert Costa.

As the event unfolded, multiple full course yellows disrupted the race but the team capitalized on every opportunity. With 30 minutes remaining, Costa charged forward, executing a decisive overtake to move into third place and holding position all the way to the checkered flag.

“I managed both the tires and the fuel during my stint”, explained Costa. “At some point, I got by the competitor in the last corner, which moved us to P6 before another car was handed a drive-through penalty, which was lucky for us. The drivers ahead were fighting hard, so I stayed calm and let it unfold. I was able to take advantage of their mistakes and move from P5 to P3 in a single corner.”

“We had a great day at Long Beach, and it feels great to celebrate on the podium”, said Franco after the podium celebration. “Starting from 7th on the grid, the opening laps were quite chaotic, as is often the case at the start of a race. I managed to hand over the car in good shape to Costa for his stint”.

“It was a lot of fun racing out there,” added Costa. “After the setback we had at Sebring, we really deserved this podium today. I’m really happy and it gives us great momentum for the rest of the season to keep pushing for even more.”

Currently fifth in the championship standings, Conquest Racing now turns its focus to the next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on May 3, the second sprint event of the season.