Driver, tuner, engine builder

Manzo’s qualifications are beyond impressive. In addition to 105 NHRA national event victories — second all-time — “Ace” won 17 Top Alcohol Funny Car national championships along with an unprecedented 21 divisional titles. His total number of event victories, including regional points meets, tops 200. He holds all the meaningful class records: #1 Qualifier, Low ET and Top Speed of the Meet. No competitor has come close to his tally at the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals, where he’s stood in the winner’s circle 11 times. In 2000 Manzo set a standard that may never be broken, winning every round he entered, the drag racing equivalent of Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. From his early days in a small-block Chevy-powered ’23 T-bucket to his sophisticated alcohol-fueled Funny Cars, Manzo was always at the head of the class. Despite his retirement as a driver, he remains in demand as a tuner and engine builder for alcohol Funny Car and Pro Mod. Manzo was #40 on NHRA’s 2001 list of its 50 Greatest Drivers.