For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
Cell: 317-201-0729
E-mail: LindaKMansfield@cs.com
 
 
 
 
 
Gleason to Race at Daytona on Friday;
Johnstown, Pa.-Driver on Top BMW Team
 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 21 - As he's done many times in the past, this week 
Chris Gleason is starting a new racing season by competing at one of the 
premier racetracks in the world - Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, 
Fla.  
 
This year the Johnstown, Pa.-based insurance executive will race in the KONI 
Sports Car Challenge Series, which will hold its season opener on Friday 
afternoon at Daytona. 
 
He'll be driving as a member of Turner Motorsport of Amesbury, Mass., the 
most successful BMW team in the last four years in the KONI Sports Car Challenge 
Series.  Although Gleason sat out the 2008 season due to Achilles tendon 
surgery, he and BMW factory driver Bill Auberlen won three times in 2007 in a 
Turner Motorsport entry.  Together they had five victories and 10 podium finishes 
in 22 starts over the 2006 and 2007 seasons, and finished third in the 2006 
championship.
 
For 2009 Gleason will be paired with another BMW factory driver, Joey Hand of 
Sacramento, Calif., in the KONI Challenge's very tough GS class. They'll 
share the No. 97 BMW M3 sponsored by H&R Springs, Turner Motorsport and Gleason 
Financial. 
 
The GS (Grand Sport) class has attracted 35 entries for Friday's race.  
Another class that will compete in the same race at the same time, the ST (Street 
Tuner) class, has 34 entries.  With 69 race cars on the same 3.56-mile, 12-turn 
road course that uses some of Daytona's famous banking, the competition is 
sure to be close.
 
"It's great to be back in the saddle again," Gleason said of Friday's race, 
called the Fresh from Florida 200, which will start at 1:45 p.m. Eastern time 
and conclude about three hours later. Live timing and scoring will be available 
at grand-am.com.  The race will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis at 4 
p.m. Eastern time Jan. 31 on the SPEED network.
 
"As team owner, I'm very excited to have Chris back with the team," said the 
head of Turner Motorsport, Will Turner.  "He took a year off last year, and he 
was definitely missed.  When he last drove with us he had more podiums as a 
percentage of race starts with us than any of my other drivers, which is kind 
of cool.  He's getting back in the same car that he drove in 2007, and although 
he's teamed with a different co-driver this year, it's the same car and the 
same team. All the planets are lining up, and now we just need a little racing 
luck.
 
"Between the years of experience that Chris has racing in different cars and 
on different tracks and in different countries, he's the veteran driver that 
has the experience, yet he's paired with a young, up-and-coming racer," Turner 
noted.  "They complement each other in that respect, so we're looking forward 
to a great year."
 
"I'm really looking forward to racing with Chris this year," said Hand.  
"Chris and I now go way back, so there's a certain comfort level there.  We've won 
races together, and Chris has helped me out several times when he didn't have 
to.  He's a father figure to me and a mentor both on and off the racetrack. 
 
"When he asked me if I would be his co-driver this year in KONI Challenge, I 
said 'Absolutely!'" Hand continued.  "In many ways it's like coming home 
again, because we're in a BMW, Chris and I are racing together, and we're with 
Turner Motorsport.  All the pieces are in place, and I think we have a good chance 
to win the championship.  We're going all out to help Chris win a 
championship, and add that to his long list of accomplishments."
 
For more information see turnermotorsport.com, grand-am.com/koni, 
konisportscarchallenge.com, gleasoninc.com and speedtv.com. 
 
The 2009 KONI Challenge schedule follows:
 
Jan. 22-23 - Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
 
March 13-15 - Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.
 
May 1-2 - Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, N.J.
 
May 15-16 - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Salinas, Calif.
 
May 22-25 - Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Conn.
 
June 4-5 - Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y.
 
June 19-21 - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
 
July 17-18 - Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.
 
Aug. 14-16 - Trois-Rivieres Circuit, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
 
Sept. 18-20 - Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah
 
Oct. 2-4 - Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Va.