On statistics alone it would be easy to draw the conclusion that every racetrack Frank Manzo competes at is his home track. This season, his final one as a driver, he will say goodbye to somany of the facilities that helped contribute to his status as an outstanding and successful competitor.
 
Manzo has 103 national event wins, 16 series championships and has won 21 divisional championships.

On statistics alone it would be easy to draw the conclusion that every racetrack Frank Manzo competes at is his home track. This season, his final one as a driver, he will say goodbye to somany of the facilities that helped contribute to his status as an outstanding and successful competitor.
 
Manzo has 103 national event wins, 16 series championships and has won 21 divisional championships.

At Maple Grove Raceway alone, Manzo has won 14 events and had a ten year stretch of consecutive victories. This weekend Manzo raced in his final event at the famed facility outside of Reading, Pa.

"This is like a home track," Manzo, a Morgantown, NJ-native, said. "I've probably raced here four times more than I have in Englishtown."

Each October, Manzo believes he will have a hard time not racing at the famed facility.

"It's going to be tough," admitted Manzo, who lost in the second round Sunday to Mickey Ferro. "You always dream about getting the car into the winners circle but there's always 15 other guys gunning for the win as well. We've always gone up there to do the best we can and let the chips fall where they may. No matter what, I've had a great season."

Manzo currently leads the NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car points with two national claims left. He's prepared himself to walk away from driving but understands retirement might be the toughest challenge he's faced.

"It's going to be hard," said Manzo. "There's no doubt about it. To say something else would be a lie. I'm still going to be around drag racing, maybe as a tuner or work with the [Al-Anabi] fuel team. I'm still going to be out here. I'm retiring as a driver, just not a drag racer. I will always be a drag racer."

What was the key to his success throughout his career? Manzo believes he's simply been blessed.

"I don't know why the Lord has gifted me with what he has," Manzo said. "It just happened to be that way."

The act of cutting and pasting articles from this publication to a message board is a clear copyright violation as is pulling photos to post on social media sites. All articles and photography published in CompetitionPlus.com are protected by United States of America and International copyright laws unless mentioned otherwise. The content on this website is intended for the private use of the reader and may not be published or reposted in any form without the prior written consent of CompetitionPlus.com.