Pennsylvania’s Kevin Gleason has “good vibes” as he prepares for a return to Austria – the scene of his maiden race victory on the global stage – for the eighth round of the TCR International Series at the recently refurbished Red Bull Ring (11-12 July).
Gleason was compromised in the Russian round of the TCR International Series by success ballast imposed on him in the aftermath of a breakthrough victory at the Salzburgring in May, but the American still managed to muster eighth and sixth-place finishes with his heavily-laden Honda to limit the damage to his championship charge.
He and his WestCoast Racing teammates, Gianni Morbidelli and Igor Skuz, go into Round 8 of the 2015 season with heightened optimism, although there’s a reluctance to underestimate the stiff opposition they will encounter at the Red Bull Ring, which is nestled in picturesque surroundings in the Styrian Alps.
“I feel more optimistic than I did at Sochi Autodrom, as that proved to be one of worst tracks to be carrying maximum ballast,” said Gleason. “My WestCoast Racing team and I expect the Red Bull Ring to suit the Honda Civic TCR a little more, but we’re aware that the circuit recently hosted the SEAT Eurocup and some of our rivals will benefit from that experience. The circuit has a nice flow to it and some fast turns, and that’s where our car is strong. I return to Austria with good vibes after opening my race wins account at the Salzburgring and so I have a positive attitude, determined to get the Honda back up front.”