Conquest Racing with Ferrari are making their way to VIRginia International Raceway with their #34 Corsa Horizon Ferrari 296 GT3 as they prepare for the final sprint race event of the season. Manny Franco and Albert Costa Balboa will be resuming their co-driver duties in the GTD class as they head into the closing stages of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. 

Following their strong comeback drive and solid finish at the previous round at Road America a few weeks prior, the team retained their fourth place positioning in the class championship standings, now sitting at a total of 1,781 points. They remain in close proximity to the top three, and will be looking to move ahead as the margins remain tight within the competitive field. 

“VIR is a great track, I’m feeling optimistic that we’ll be able to score important championship points here,” said Manny Franco. “It’s a very technical and high speed circuit, and it will be important for us to capitalize on any opportunities, especially since this race will only have GT cars. The team has shown that we are very much capable of challenging for podiums and wins, and that is exactly what we’re setting out to do this weekend.”  

“Road America was a great weekend for the team, and we have a lot of potential to do well at VIR,” added Albert Costa Balboa. “Considering in the previous round we were handed an early penalty and fought our way back to a sixth place finish, we know we have the ability to challenge at the front. VIR is a new track for me, but since it will be a GTD and GTD Pro field only, it will be easier to navigate in terms of class traffic. We’re all focused on doing a good job, and I’m really determined to achieve a podium result for the final sprint race of the season. I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead.” 

Practice 1 will take place on Friday, August 23rd from 2:30 to 4:00 PM ET, with Practice 2 following on Saturday morning, August 24th from 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM ET. Qualifying will commence later the same day from 4:20 to 4:35 PM CT. The green flag for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR will be waved at 2:10 PM on Sunday, August 25th, with the race concluding at 2:50 PM ET.