The final round of the 2015 TCR International Series was bittersweet for WestCoast Racing, as a record eighth Macau victory for Rob Huff was followed by a dramatic multi-car pileup that claimed the former World Champion, Kevin Gleason and Sunny Wong (Sunday 22 November).
Both Huff and his young protégé Gleason were mightily impressive during the build-up to the Suncity Group 62nd Macau Grand Prix, as the former dominated the top of the timing screens in free practice and eventually sealed pole position for the Macau Guia Race 2.0T, while the latter found chunks of lap time to stand as his World Champion teammate’s nearest challenger, qualifying second.
However, raceday would be a bittersweet affair for WestCoast Racing. The first ‘qualification race’ decided the grid for the second Macau Guia Race 2.0T and the critical final round of the 2015 TCR International Series and, with no time to carry out major repairs during the short 15-minute interval between races, the priority was to stay out of harm’s way.
Huff led the field away from pole position and, although it looked as though the Briton might be overhauled while running three-abreast with Stefano Comini and Jordi Gene through the high-speed kink at Mandarin, Huff prevailed into the first braking zone at Lisboa.
Gleason was less fortunate, as he tumbled from his P2 grid-slot to seventh and spent the duration of the ten-lapper in the wake of sixth-placed Gianni Morbidelli, reluctant to attempt a high-risk overtaking manoeuvre on his fellow WestCoast Racing driver on a track that affords very few passing opportunities.
Everything went to plan out front, Huff building a healthy advantage over the chasing pack to take his WestCoast Racing-prepared Honda Civic TCR to a record-breaking eighth victory in Macau, while Morbidelli and Gleason remained sixth and seventh respectively and TCR newbie Sunny Wong finished where he started in 15th.
The second and final race was all too short for three of WestCoast Racing’s four drivers, as a dramatic multi-car pileup claimed Huff, Gleason and Wong on the opening lap, although Morbidelli successfully negotiated the carnage to finish fourth after being handed a drive-through penalty and produced a dogged recovery drive from the back of the depleted field.
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