Kevin Gleason has re-signed to race one of three WestCoast Racing ‘Step 2’ Honda Civics in the burgeoning TCR International Series, alongside former Formula 1 driver Gianni Morbidelli and Finnish young gun, Aku Pellinen.
Gleason made his debut on the global touring car stage in 2015 and hailed it as “the best year of his life in racing” after a strong run of form that saw him become the first American to take an international touring car win.
Victories, podium finishes and pole positions were plentiful and Gleason reached some important milestones under the gaze of tens of thousands of F1 fans in Malaysia, China and Singapore, therefore the Pennsylvanian driver can only target championship glory entering his second year as part of WestCoast Racing’s TCR International programme.
“I’m thrilled to be back with WestCoast Racing for a second season,” said Gleason. “This is the first time in my career that I’ve remained with one team for more than one year and we grew really close while travelling the world in 2015, so the team is like my motorsport family. We all get along really well. To stay with them, to know the TCR International Series and many of the circuits on the calendar, I should be in a strong position this year.
“As opposed to last year, the team has quite a few testing miles under its belt and we should be able to hit the ground running when we get to Bahrain. There’s no question I’m coming back to win the championship for myself and the team. I learnt more than ever before in 2015 and I’ve been trying to identify my strong points and deal with my weak areas to be stronger. Of course, WestCoast has three solid drivers in Gianni (Morbidelli), Aku (Pellinen) and me. We’ll all push each other and work to find the best setups to benefit the team as a whole.”
The opening round of the 2016 TCR International Series boasts a coveted spot on the support bill for the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix and the 11-round calendar takes in many of the most historic and evocative racetracks on the European and Asian continents, including Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Autodromo Nazionale Monza and Circuito da Guia in Macau.