Franco returns to round out Conquest's full-time 2027 IMSA line-up

Conquest Racing has announced its 2027 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver lineup, confirming the return of Manny Franco as a full-season driver in the No. 34 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.

Franco will once again partner with Spanish pro driver Albert Costa for the full GTD campaign, after stepping away from the cockpit midway through the 2026 season. In 2024, Franco and Costa finished fourth in the GTD championship with a victory at the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans.

“I’m excited to return for a full season,” said Franco, who took a hiatus following a third-place finish at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in April.

“Conquest Racing has been instrumental in ushering me into the sport, and I still feel as though we have unfinished business in this championship. Having stepped away for several races in 2026, I’ve enjoyed watching the team re-develop over the year, and it really seems that all the ingredients are there to really push for results every weekend.”

Conquest Racing founder and owner Eric Bachelart said of Franco’s return, “Having Manny back is something we’re all very excited about.

"From his debut with us it was clear that he had a lot of talent, and it is very rewarding to see him continue with us into our seventh year together. The level of competition in IMSA right now is as high as it’s ever been, and if we’re going to target the objectives we all have, we need to execute on every detail to maximize the program.”

Costa and Conquest Racing finished eighth in points this season, with best finishes of third at Long Beach with Franco and fourth at CTMP alongside Lorenzo Patrese.

“I'm extremely happy to be back with Conquest Racing for another year,” said Costa. “After four years together, this is more than just a team to me – it’s family.

“After the bad luck we experienced last season, I'm grateful and excited to have another opportunity to show what we're capable of. I truly believe this is the best group of mechanics and engineers I've ever worked with in my career. I'm also really excited to be sharing the car with Manny Franco again next season. I've always loved racing alongside him and we've already shared some incredible moments together. It's time to show everyone what we're capable of. It's showtime!”

Second-generation driver Patrese, the son of 15-year Formula 1 veteran Riccardo Patrese, will remain with Conquest Racing as its third driver for the five-race Michelin Endurance Cup. Patrese stepped in as Conquest Racing’s full-time Silver-graded driver from Laguna Seca, where he put the No. 34 Ferrari on the GTD pole position.

“I'm extremely happy and grateful to be returning to Conquest Racing for another season," he said.

"Even though it's only been a few weeks since our last race, I'm already missing being behind the wheel and can't wait to get back on track at Daytona. It's also fantastic to have Manny Franco back alongside Albert and myself, bringing our driver lineup together again. I'm really looking forward to reuniting with both of them and continuing what we've started together. We have a strong team, a great group of people, and the determination to make next season a successful one.”

This season will commemorate Conquest Racing’s 30th anniversary. Bachelart, who competed for parts of three seasons in CART from 1992–95, established the team in 1997, first running in Indy Lights before moving to the Indy Racing League for 2002, then over to the Champ Car World Series from 2003–07 and continuing as part of the unified IndyCar Series until 2011.

Conquest Racing then shifted to sports cars in 2012 for a season in the American Le Mans Series. It took 12 years for the team to return to what is now the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, in 2024 – where it has competed ever since.