Alain Menu joins WestCoast Racing following major driver reshuffle

Touring car ace Alain Menu and Russian driver Mikhail Grachev will join WestCoast Racing following a major driver reshuffle where Aku Pellinen and Kevin Gleason leave the team.

“It’s nice to be back in the TCR International Series and I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given,” said Menu. “WestCoast Racing is one of the top teams in the championship with one of the front-running cars, so I am very much looking forward to it, although it will be tough, as I haven’t had an opportunity to test the Honda Civic ahead of what will be a single-day event.”

Menu is one of the most successful touring car drivers in the world, claiming the 1997 and 2000 BTCC titles.

Grachev has claimed a number of Russian touring car titles and has driven six TCR races for Liqui Moly Team Engstler this season.

Both drivers will now join Gianni Morbidelli at the Swedish team this weekend in Imola behind the wheel of the squad’s three Honda Civic TCRs.

“Mikhail has shown commitment to the TCR International Series and we are delighted that he sees WestCoast Racing as a team that can help him meet his racing goals,” said Greger Petersson, WestCoast Racing/Sportpromotion team principal. “And with Alain we add great experience in touring cars that will be a benefit to any team.”

The team states that Pellinen leaves due to budget issues and with Gleason “stepping down while negotiations with a key backer continue”.

“Of course, we are very disappointed to have lost the services of Aku (Pellinen) and Kevin (Gleason), with Aku showing great speed and promise and Kevin having delivered wins for the team in the TCR International Series. But this is the reality of motorsport where commercial partners are needed to meet budgets and I hope both of them will be able to return to us and the series soon,” added Petersson.