Kody Gleason

Kody Gleason (born October 6, 1991 in Long Beach, California) is a third-generation open-wheel and stock car racing driver, hailing from the esteemed Gleason racing family. He is best known for his qualifying performance into the 2017 Karjala GP, where he qualified for the race with a crowdfunded race team on a shoestring budget.

Career
Kody Gleason is the son of 1980 Formula A World Champion Gary Gleason, and grandson of Formula A driver Phil Gleason. Despite his British heritage, Kody was born and raised in America, while his father competed across the world in Formula A, and later on, V8 Champ Cars. Kody inherited his father's racing talent, cutting his teeth in international go-kart championships, eventually working his way up to the V8 ChampCar Series, making his debut in 2007. During his stint there, he won several races with his father's race team Bullhorn Racing. He still regularly competes in the Indianapolis 500 every year, with a best finish of sixth in 2011.

Despite his success, Kody had always had an expressed desire to go stock car racing, with the Master Cup Series as his high mark. He and his father's team followed his ambitions to ARLA, where he attempted the 2013 Stars & Stripes 776 at Pocono, but failed to qualify. He later attempted the 2013 Round of Decatur and the 2014 Karjala GP with BHR, but failed to qualify for both races.

For several years following, Kody bounced around many different racing series for many different teams, including several Master Cup one-off attempts, and an ill-fated stint in the ASCC, where he was plagued by reliability issues. Due to financial struggles, Bullhorn Racing's global expansion effort disintegrated, forcing Gleason out of a ride. He continued to eye a Master Cup seat, but was denied opportunities because of his reputation for running his cars so hard that they blew up. Then an offer from the internet Kickstarter Racing team caught his attention in 2017.

As a team primarily funded through Master Cup fans on the internet, Kickstarter Racing was not taken seriously, DNQing the Karjala GP twice in 2015 and 2016. Gleason, who acknowledged the pairing as a "longshot", brought a sense of legitimacy to the team. Miraculously, Gleason just barely squeaked his car onto the grid with a qualifying time that was a few tenths quicker than the slowest qualifier. Gleason said of the lap he ran, "I have never run a lap so hard in my life and I probably never will again." In his Master Cup debut, he managed to survive an attrition-filled race, bringing the car home in 26th. Kickstarter Motorsports has gained significant traction as a result, earning the respect of their competitors and are now recognized as a serious effort. Gleason attempted the Karjala GP again with this team in 2018, this time failing to qualify. Despite some very appetizing offers, Gleason has not started another Master Cup race since.

In early 2019, plans for Gleason to run part-time with Hastert Racing began to materialize, finally sealing the deal in April. He will attempt the Karjala GP this season driving the #31 GPODAWUND Saar.

Personality
Off the track, Gleason is a flamboyant, outspoken, and amicable personality, with a very active social media presence. He has no problems expressing himself, whether he's talking about an on-track feud or discussing his hobbies. He is close friends with Master Cup driver Chris Davenport. He is a fan of pop punk, with a particular liking for the band Green Day.