Manny Franco, Albert Costa Balboa and Conquest Racing were on track for the famed Grand Prix of Long Beach this past Saturday. The team had a strong event, with Costa Balboa clocking the third-fastest lap time in the qualifying session the day prior. The Indianapolis-based outfit opted for a different strategy, with Albert starting the race, and Manny Franco taking the checkered flag. 

Albert Costa Balboa quickly made his way up into the second spot, running a stellar opening stint. Franco’s time on track was impacted by an overeager fellow GTD class competitor who overshot a corner, side-tackling the #34 Corsa Horizon Ferrari 296 GT3 in the process. Ultimately, the team finished 12th despite the challenging day they had. 

Manny Franco: “We encountered a slight issue during the driver change, losing a couple of seconds as we exited the pits, but overall, it was manageable. The car’s pace was excellent, and it felt good to drive it in the streets of Long Beach. However, during the restart, I was pushed off at the last corner. I was left a sitting duck on the straightaway, with four cars overtaking me, which was frustrating since there was little I could do about it. Later that same lap, in the last corner, I found myself in a bumper-car situation, having to defend against a car that was much faster on the straightaway.”  

“The remainder of the race proved very challenging. The earlier contact had slightly altered the car’s setup, forcing me to adapt to a new driving style while also managing overheating tires. Despite these difficulties, I had a really good pace after the second restart. That was partly due to cooler temperatures but also because I was getting accustomed to the car’s altered dynamics, which differed significantly from the one I had practiced with.”

“The pace at the end was exceptionally strong. I wish I could have had that speed from start to finish.”

Albert Costa Balboa: “It was still a great weekend overall. We showed good speed once again and proved that we have a strong package. We played the start of the race on the safer side, and I waited for the right opportunity to start moving forward. I completed a clever overtake in the last hairpin for second place. It was a little bit on the limit, but that’s racing. In the end I was able to pull it off cleanly. From there I just focused on delivering good laps before handing over the car to Manny. At the end we had a little issue that ultimately cost us the podium, or at least what would have been a great result. We’ll learn from this experience and move forward, and the next race is another chance to show what we can do and remind everyone that we can be in the fight for good results.” 

Conquest Racing will return for the upcoming round at WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway for the MOTUL Course de Monterey taking place from May 10th to 12th.