Timber Gleeson: Racing to the Top
Photo courtesy of Timber Gleeson
Timber Gleeson races down the track. His aspiration to become a racer required a lot of hard work and dedication.
The loud revving of the engines drown out the cheering from the seats at Bandimere Speedway. Friends, family, and strangers all gather to cheer on the drivers on the track below. Senior Timber Gleeson grips the wheel, the vibration from the racecar filling him up with enthusiasm and a competitive spirit. He’s worked hard to be here, endless hours of practice and dedication. He slams his foot on the accelerator as the race starts, propelling him into his future.
“[Racing] makes things that are so violent and aggressive seem so calming,” Gleeson said. “It’s just such a deep focus, and so when you think about it, you’re doing something really crazy – something that fast, something that close to the edge of the limit, taking everything from that machine that you can possibly take, going as fast as you possibly can.”
Before getting his job at Action Karting at Bandimere Speedway, Gleeson’s interests in racing remained on the sidelines.
“I do everything from running the track to fixing carts to management,” Gleeson said. “I kinda do it all there. I love it.”
[Racing] makes things that are so violent and aggressive seem so calming. It’s just such a deep focus, and so when you think about it, you’re doing something really crazy – something that fast, something that close to the edge of the limit, taking everything from that machine that you can possibly take, going as fast as you possibly can. — Timber Gleeson
Gleeson has participated in a few races so far: his first, he came in last; his second, he didn’t finish; his third, he won third place.
“Starting to race involved one hundred percent every day,” Gleeson said. “Winning a couple races, losing a couple races. The number one thing was getting third at the night race. Everything thought that I wasn’t even going to finish, let alone even get third.”
Gleeson poses for a victorious shot after winning third in a race. This was his third race; his first, he came in last; his second, he didn’t finish.
After high school, Gleeson intends to continue along the racing track for college and as a career.
“I’ll be doing motorsports technology at Red Rocks for two years, and then I’ll be going to Bondurant Racing School and hopefully Winfield racing school,” Gleeson said. “I definitely [want racing] to be a career. I want to race Pike’s Peak. That’s my first obtainable goal. I’m just going to work hard every day and see where it takes me.”
From winning a few races to traveling the world, Gleeson has high goals for his racing career, and given his track record so far, his goals don’t seem too far fetched.
“I always thought that racecar driving was for the richest-of-the-rich and you had to be born into it and there’s no way that an average person could do it,” Gleeson said. “I dipped my feet in and realized that it can be obtainable if you work hard every day. So that’s what I’m doing.”
