in Sunday's Pirelli World Challenge Race
Gleason and Napleton Racing Ready to Hit the Podium after Fourth-Place Finishes at St. Petersburg Opener; Napleton Returns to Site of First Major Porsche Cayman S Win Last YearTeam driver Kevin Gleason will be making his Long Beach debut while Napleton Racing will be looking for a return visit to victory lane at the famous street circuit, this time with Gleason and its new No. 16 Napleton Racing Porsche Cayman S, in this weekends Pirelli World Challenge Championships race at the legendary Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Long Beach is Round 3 of this years Pirelli World Challenge Championships and has attracted a combined field of more than 40 GT and GTS entries. Gleason and Napleton will be among the top contenders in the GTS class, which shares the tight 1.968-mile street course with the faster GT machines, in the 50 minute sprint that closes the 39th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend this Sunday, April 21, at 4:30 p.m. PDT.I have been a fan of motorsports for a lot longer than I have been racing, Gleason said. Growing up, I watched IndyCars and sports cars race at Long Beach on TV and to be able to actually race at the Long Beach Grand Prix is absolutely a dream come true.
After combining for a victory in their debut Pirelli World Challenge weekend of GTS competition at Mid-Ohio last August, Napleton and Gleason have returned for a full 2013 championship campaign. They moved off to a solid start with a pair of fourth-place GTS class finishes in last months season-opening Pirelli World Challenge doubleheader on the streets of St. Petersburg in Florida.
The team is doing a tremendous job, Gleason said. They built our new Cayman in just 19 days, which is incredible, and our shakedown for the car was when we showed up at St. Petersburg for the first practice. We were happy to leave there with a pair of fourth-place finishes and a clean car, but of course our goal is to fight for podiums and victories.
A victory was exactly what Napleton Racing earned last year on the streets of Long Beach. Teaming then with driver Jack Baldwin, the win marked the first major North American victory for a Porsche Cayman S in a national racing series. While a Napleton repeat at Long Beach with Gleason at the wheel is a real possibility, the competition in the GTS class is at an all-time high level of intensity.
The competition this year in GTS is stronger than it has ever been, Gleason said. You have numerous teams and drivers that can win on any day. We are just focusing on ourselves and maximizing our efforts so we are able to compete up front every race weekend.
Gleason has placed his personal focus on his performance and preparation.
The first place I look to improve is myself, Gleason said. I have identified a few areas and have worked hard in between St. Petersburg and Long Beach to make sure I am ready. We have made a few improvements to the car as well so I am excited.
The three-day Long Beach event will open with a late afternoon practice session on Friday at 4:15 p.m. PDT. Saturday includes an early-morning final practice at 7:30 a.m. PDT with the 20-minute GTS qualifying session scheduled for 8:00 a.m. PDT Sunday morning. The race starts at 4:30 p.m. PDT later on Sunday afternoon and will be streamed live online at www.world-challengetv.com.
