FRANCO: The Highs and Lows of the Rolex 24

By Manny Franco

Every year, we start off the season with the Rolex 24 at Daytona, putting ourselves up against the biggest test of endurance, precision, and adaptability.

It’s the kind of race that can give you the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in a matter of hours, minutes, or even seconds.

This year, for Conquest Racing with Ferrari, we experienced a bit of both.

One of the biggest challenges of a 24-hour endurance race isn’t just the physical toll it takes on your body, it’s the mental preparation required to stay sharp.

Getting yourself back into the right mindset after the off-season is extremely important because everything about this event requires so much focus.

You have to be ready for anything, so I try to prioritize maintaining a structured sleep schedule, a balanced diet, and spending more time on the simulator so I feel thoroughly prepared.

Once the race begins, it’s all about managing energy and emotions. That means knowing when to push and when to conserve, not just in terms of the car, but also my own reserves.

Whether it’s the ability to remain calm through unpredictability or staying vigilant when fatigue sets in, mental fortitude is just as critical as any physical training we do.

Coming into Daytona, we knew we had a strong package. The Ferrari 296 GT3 felt dialed in, and our driver lineup, Daniel Serra, Cédric Sbirrazzuoli, Giacomo Altoè, and myself, had the right mix of experience and speed.

We all get along incredibly well, and we all know just how much effort it takes to win in IMSA. Qualifying in the top ten gave us confidence, but we also knew that in a 24-hour race, where you start means little compared to how you finish.

When Daniel took the green flag, he wasted no time putting us in contention, carving his way through the field to P4 in the first hour. I was the next one to get in the car, and by the time I got in for my first stint, the adrenaline was already pumping. I was focused on hitting my marks, staying consistent, and avoiding mistakes as much as possible, which helped move us up into the top-three.

We stayed in the fight as the race went on. Cédric took the lead during his stint after me, and everything felt like it was coming together for us. Everyone was working so well together and executing great pit stops, and staying on top of our strategy calls. But there’s more to endurance racing than just being fast; you also have to survive.

Our first setback happened just before the halfway point when we had to deal with a fuel pump issue. It was a gut punch, especially since it required us to bring the car back into the garage for repairs, but our crew hustled to get the car back on track.

Daniel got back in and started clawing laps back, but then we ran into another problem early in the morning on Sunday. This time, it was a suspension issue, and it warranted another trip to the garage that put us more laps down.

When I got back in the car after we were able to bring the car on track again, I knew by that point we were out of podium contention, but it didn’t change the job at hand.

We had to finish.

No matter how prepared you are, endurance racing is a team effort. Over 24 hours, things might go wrong. Twice during the race, our mechanics had to jump into action and make quick decisions under pressure.

The adrenaline in those moments is intense, with everyone locked in, from the garage to the pit wall to the drivers both in and out of the car. Even when you’re not behind the wheel, you’re still on edge and want to be able to regain control.

That motivation, that chemistry between the crew and drivers, is what keeps the whole operation moving forward even during times of turmoil.

We do our best to prepare and anticipate every scenario, running through Plan A, B, C, and so on, so that when challenges arise, we’re ready. The constant communication and the trust in one another is key, it all comes together in a perfectly controlled storm.

You have to be able to rely on each other and have full confidence that you’ll be able to adapt and overcome.

That’s the thing about endurance racing, you never give up. It’s about pushing through the setbacks and proving what you’re made of, even when things don’t go your way.

Giacomo took the final stint and brought it home in 11th place. Not the result we wanted, but we crossed the finish line. We fought hard, we learned a lot, and we banked some points for the rest of the season.

It’s easy to dwell on the what-ifs, but I prefer to look ahead. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is next, and we’re coming back stronger.

The team is hungry, and we know what we’re capable of. Daytona tested us, but it didn’t break us. We’ll be ready for the next one.

See you at Sebring.