WestCoast Racing will return to the TCR International Series with a trio of ‘Step 2’ Honda Civic TCRs and a bolstered driver line-up made up of former Formula 1 ace Gianni Morbidelli, Finnish front-wheel-drive specialist Aku Pellinen and rapid American Kevin Gleason.
The Swedish team will roll out its trio of drivers, upgraded Honda Civics and a brighter livery in front of fully stocked grandstands during the TCR International Series’ curtain-raiser at the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix (1-3 April).
There will be increased competition from SEAT, Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo, Opel and Subaru, and this will be met by an uprated ‘Step 2’ Honda Civic TCR, which was raced to pole position and victory in the concluding part of 2015 in Macau.
Morbidelli and Gleason remain under the WestCoast Racing umbrella for a second shot at the TCR International title and the teammates will no doubt be among the favourites for the 2016 crown, having both raced to several race wins, podium finishes and pole positions last season.
They will be joined by former Abarth 500 AC Euro Champion, Pellinen of Uusikaupunki, Finland, who is keen to play to his strengths in front-wheel-drive with sponsorship from Niinivirta after spending 2015 competing in Porsche Carrera Cup machinery.
“It’s a great pleasure to be back in the WestCoast Racing team for a second year – I feel like I am at home here,” said Morbidelli. “Firstly, I want to thank Team Principal Greger Petersson and all the team for placing their trust in me again. WestCoast Racing and I have one goal and that is to win. We now have a more complete package with the addition of Aku (Pellinen) and I have no doubt that he, Kevin and me will all be giving the maximum to be on top in what I’m sure will be another enjoyable year for us all.”
Pellinen said: “This is quite a big step in my career and my first experience of racing outside of Europe, but it’s a good opportunity in a series that is growing at a surprisingly fast rate. It’s a real opportunity to spread my wings and, while I’ve only completed a handful of laps in the Honda Civic TCR, I’m confident it will suit me well. I’ve driven a lot of front-wheel-drive cars in my career and I know where my strengths lie and where I need to improve.
“I think I can take a lot from my teammates, but particularly Gianni (Morbidelli), as he has been racing for more years than I’ve lived. WestCoast Racing also has a lot of experience with touring cars, so I’m expecting to learn quite a few new tricks. Of course, many of the circuits will be new to me, but I have spent a lot of time in the simulator so I won’t be starting from zero. I will try to finish the first races to get as much mileage as possible and I’ll be happy if I can finish somewhere close to my teammates who have far more experience with the car than I do. It will be good to compare myself to both Gianni and Kevin (Gleason).”
Gleason added: “I’m thrilled to be back with WestCoast Racing for a second season, as this is the first time in my career that I’ve remained with one team for more than one year. We grew really close while travelling the world in 2015 so the team is like my motorsport family, and 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.”
WestCoast Racing Team Manager, James Nixon, said: “It feels great to welcome back both Gianni Morbidelli and Kevin Gleason to WestCoast Racing. The commitment from both drivers is immense, as they work tirelessly on improving and they grew closer as teammates during the 2015 season, working fantastically well to develop the Honda Civic with their engineers. All of that hard work will hopefully show in this year’s results. They, along with the eventual Champion, were the outstanding drivers in the field for me.
“We are also pleased to be starting a new collaboration with young Finnish driver, Aku Pellinen, who I have been watching closely in recent years. I believe he will be a top contender for the title come the end of the season, as there’s no doubting his speed and passion to be at e top. Working with Gianni and Kevin will be a big help on his return to front-wheel-drive and everybody at WestCoast Racing is excited to see how his season unfolds. With this line-up, I feel we are now in a position to take on the fight for the titles.”
For more information on WestCoast Racing, please visit the officialwww.westcoastracing.se website, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page and follow@WestCoast Racing on Twitter.