Fast Track Racing, the two-time TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School TCX team champions, has announced the signing of kart racer Adam Gleason of Dallas, Tex., for the 2023 TC America TCX class series beginning with the SRO road racing season-opening doubleheader races at Sonoma Raceway on March 31-April 2.
Since the introduction of the TCX division in 2021, the Fast Track Racing BMW M2 Cup sports car has been the car to beat as Jacob Ruud scored two series championships and 17 race wins in 28 events. Now, Gleason moves into the No. 21 Megawatt Mining/Sewell Automotive Companies powered by Bitcoin BMW M2 Cup for the Plano, Tex.-based racing operation in hopes of continuing the team’s winning ways.
Gleason comes to Fast Track Racing after a stellar karting career and recent testing proves that Adam has the speed to compete for 2023 TC America race victories when the first 40-minute sprint event drops the green flag at the famed 2.52-mile, 12-turn Sonoma road circuit on Saturday, April 1, at 11:30 a.m. PDT.
“I can’t express how excited I am for the season opening races at Sonoma Raceway,” said Gleason, a businessman when he isn’t racing. “Coming from the karting world to sports car competition is a big jump, but working with Toby (Grahovec, team manager and former series champion) and his Fast Track Racing team has been an awesome experience. And testing Jacob’s BMW M2 Cup car was incredible. I have been able to talk with Jacob about the car and the team, and he has been a big help. We even did some simulation laps together at Sonoma Raceway in iRacing.”
The former high school lacrosse player has had to wait for his opportunity in sports car racing with the proper funding for the 2023 season, but the Carmel, Ind.-based Megawatt Mining has given Gleason the chance to reach his sports car dreams with Fast Track Racing, a championship organization.
“Having Megawatt Mining join our racing campaign this year has given me the opportunity to compete with Fast Track Racing in a strong machine,” said Gleason. “Megawatt’s involvement also gives the Bitcoin industry a new outlet for its growing community and I’m hoping we can put their BMW M2 in the winner’s circle soon.”
While Gleason enters his first TCX events at Sonoma Raceway, he is not a stranger to BMW sports cars. He has been testing with Fast Track Racing in Texas as well as at several other road circuits with former sports car champion Johan Schwartz, a BMW test driver.
“It’s been a great training ground for me to work with champions like Johan and Toby with the BMW racing cars,” said Gleason. “Both guys have won races and championships for BMW, and they continue to assist me in the learning process with these new BMW sports cars. I’m learning with every test session and every day I’m in the race car. They have given me confidence with the M2 machine.”
Grahovec and his Fast Track Racing crew have been impressed with Gleason’s speed and car control in the recent test runs.
“We knew Adam came from the karting series, but he was new to the sports car ranks,” said Grahovec. “But he quickly showed us that he had the ability to record fast times in our BMW M2 car. He continues to learn about the car and the team, and we feel he can be a contender in the TCX class this year. I know we’ll prepare a strong race car as we did for Jacob the past two seasons. And we’ll work with him on learning new tracks such as Sonoma. We have had very solid, winning cars at Sonoma in the past.”
During the 2023 TCX racing tour, Fast Track Racing team will honor the heritage of an auto dealership legend, Lee Maas, who passed away on March 7. Maas was the original BMW dealer in the Dallas, TX area in 1971 and was named chairman of the BMW Dealers of North America in 1976.
Maas and his family expanded the Classic BMW dealership into one of the largest BMW dealerships in North America. Maas was an avid motorsports supporter for decades with the Classic BMW and Fast Track Racing programs including winning the coveted worldwide BMW Motorsport Sports Trophy Team of the Year. Classic BMW was the first American team to win that award in 2018.
Gleason and the Fast Track Racing team will take to the Sonoma Raceway circuit on Friday, March 31, with two practice rounds scheduled for 9:30 a.m. PDT and 2:25 p.m. PDT. Qualifying is set for Saturday at 8:50 a.m. PDT with the first 40-minute TCX race getting underway at 11:30 a.m. PDT. Sunday, race 2 will begin at 9:55 a.m. PDT.
Both TC America TCX 40-minute races can be viewed live on the www.tcamerica.tv website with a TCX highlight package being telecast on CBS Sports Network in the near future.