TCR International Series: Gleason wins Race 1 at streets of Singapore

American Kevin Gleason (West Coast Racing) scored his second season’s victory today in Race 1 of TCR International Series at Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit. Gleason, who drove a Honda Civic TCR, won ahead of Stefano Comini (Target Competition) in a Seat Leon and third placed Gianni Morbidelli in #10 West Coast Racing’s Honda.

Gleason made a good start and jumped from third to second before Turn 1, behind Stefano Comini, who started from pole. After that Gleason chased Comini until Lap 7. Swiss driver went too wide in the last turn and allowed the American to take the lead. Gleason remained in the front to the checkered flag.

Gianni Morbidelli, who started third, lost one place at the start to Pepe Oriola (Craft-Bamboo Lukoil), but returned to third in Lap 2. Oriola’s team-mate Sergey Afanasyev was fifth from start to finish. Third driver in red Lukoil’s Seat Jordi Gene progressed through the field from 8th to 6th, finished ahead of Mikhail Grachev in Engstler’s Volkswagen Golf and Lorenzo Veglia in Engstler’s Seat Leon. TCR rookie Loris Hezemans in Target Competition’s Seat and Fernando Monje in Campos Racing’s Opel Astra rounded the Top 10.

Twenty drivers started the race, with Top Run’s Subaru at the end of the grid, because his car was late to Singapore due to transportation problems, so Luca Rangoni didn’t have a chance to drive in Free Practice and Qualifying. Despite that, he managed a good race and finished 15th. Michael Choi in Prince Racing’s Honda finished 14th overall and first in classification of TCR Asia Series. One more race is scheduled for tomorrow.