December 22nd, 2011
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Scott Tucker and his awesome Level 5 Motorsports teammates recently began the last quarter of a racing year that has included numerous podium appearances, multiple car changes, incredible achievements yet still room for improvement. Tucker, owner and driver for Level 5, has been a leader for the team regardless of the rookie status he maintained just months ago. His tight, balanced driving has earned him top honors from the American Le Mans Series as Rookie of the Year and Champion Driver in 2010. His races often end with stints on the podium, and his career only has just begun.
As Tucker, his co-drivers Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz and team manager David Stone prepare to close the calendar year with the all-important Petit Le Mans and the Ferrari International Finals, the stakes are high-the team has woven itself a reputation of excellence that is best understood by looking back at what has made 2011 a beautiful year for Level 5 Motorsports.
In January, the Level 5 team began its 2011 race schedule with the GRAND-AM The Roar prior to the 24 test sessions, in Daytona, Florida. Its two Microsoft Office-sponsored entries proved themselves powerful vehicles for their drivers’ talents. Over the final test session the No. 055 Microsoft Office BMW Riley and the No. 95 Microsoft Office BMW Riley finished 2-3. Tucker, Bouchut, Diaz and Mark Wilkins drove the No. 55 and sped through a 127.533 mph lap, just a half-second behind Starworks Motorsports Ford Riley, No. 8. Tucker also drove the No. 95, along with Ryan Hunter-Reay, Raphael Matos and Richard Westbrook. The drivers completed a lap of 127.465 mph, a time less than one-tenth of a second off of the No. 55 BMW Riley.
The Level 5 team proved its versatility since the season opened up with rule changes and a freshly paved racetrack at Daytona International Speedway. The three-day test session for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series was an indicator of things to come for the team. Throughout the practiced sessions, the team gradually built momentum by developing small changes with every run, eventually building up to the point that the drivers were barely off the top speed by weekend’s end.
In the fourth test session, the No. 95 rose to 5th on the speed chart with a lap of 125.898 mph. Its counterpart, the No. 55, earned its way to a second-place position by the sixth session with a lap of 126.9189 mph.
Not only did Tucker drive both cars for the Roar before the 24, he was also a participant in the Sports Car Club of America’s Double National event at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. He finished second both days of the race. “I want as much time on the track as possible,” he said at the time. “Getting in tune with the car is paramount to setting up for a successful season.”
The Roar prior to 24 is much like preseason games in other sports; it gives drivers a chance to shake off any lingering problems from the previous year and preview the type of year that is to come. Many big motorsports names are on hand at the Roar before the 24, and many of the stars who test at the Roar are enrolled in the Rolex 24 at Daytona during subsequent weekends.
The outcomes of the Roar before the 24 set Level 5 Motorsports in a perfect position for season’s start: beating the competition, but with some room for improvement. By exhibiting talent, control and skill on the raceway, Tucker and his teammates immediately established Level 5 Motorsports as a frontrunner for the coming races. Next up: the Rolex 24.
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Written by Jesse Schwarck on December 22nd, 2011 with comments disabled.
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Scott Tucker and his Level 5 Motorsports teammates recently began the final quarter of a racing year that has included numerous podium appearances, multiple car changes, incredible accomplishments and yet still room for improvement. Tucker, owner and driver for Level 5, has been a leader for the team despite the rookie status he maintained merely months ago. His tight, balanced driving has earned him top honors in the American Le Mans Series as Rookie of the Year and Champion Driver in 2010. His races often end with stints on the podium, and his career has only just begun.
Fresh off a mind-blowing win at their 24 Hours of Le Mans debut, the Level 5 Motorsports team, belonging to driver Scott Tucker and composed of also Christophe Bouchut and Joao Barbosa, headed to Bologna, Italy with their Microsoft Office-sponsored Lola Honda. What turned out to be another helpful win for the team turned into a bittersweet day after some late-race malfunctions prevented just one more historic victory to the Wisconsin-based team.
The three drivers delivered again amazing shows in the driver’s seat. Initially maintaining a 6th place spot on the grid of LMP2 competitors, they moved to the lead with lower than a couple of hours remaining. Bouchut manned the very last leg of the race, taking the wheel with just more than one hour to go. The victory was theirs, just an official checkered flag from being official. But Twenty-five minutes until the end, Bouchut’s voice crackled on the radio to say gear selection difficulties.
The automobile was stuck in fourth gear as a result of gear actuator failure. Bouchut, experienced in the motorsports field and one of the most successful endurance drivers on earth, managed to persevere through to the checkered flag using only a few gears. In the end, the team gained a third-place finish. Where they first enjoyed a 15-second lead, they now faced the reality that the win they nearly grasped was no more-and it was taking a while to sink in. “That’s racing,” Tucker said. “Still, ending up on the podium with this level of competition is incredible. However, it isn’t sinking in right now because we were so close to a win here.”
Despite the fact that victory eluded them, they gained useful experience in a tricky field of opponents, and they experienced a large performance increase driving the Spyder, the vehicle they changed to from the 2010 Lola Coupe after the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “It was the first time we drove the Lola-Honda Spyder and it definitely proved to be the right choice,” Barbosa said. “We were much more competitive than in the previous races. We still have to work on speed and qualifying pace, but we were strong heading into the race. That took us to the lead. There’s a few more races to go, so hopefully we can continue to improve this package.”
Betterment seems hardly a possibility considering the podium standing the team had already done at this point throughout the year. With any losses being less due to driver performance than mechanical issues, a clean car seemingly guaranteed Level 5 top finishes. With the win ever-present in their minds, the team looked ahead to carrying on with the ALMS season with races at Lime Rock Park and Mosport International Raceway in Ontario.
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Written by Jim Tobin on December 22nd, 2011 with comments disabled.
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When ever private equity investor-turned motorsports rising legend Scott Tucker placed his order for that fresh Honda Performance Development/Wirth Research cost-capped prototype car, under “quantity,” it stated 2. Tucker reserved the very first 2 chassis for his Level 5 Motorsports team to use as soon as they possibly can, which turned out to be last weekend in the HPD ARX-01g’s debut appearance, at ModSpace American Le Mans in Monterey, Calif. The race had been another win for the David Stone-managed, Microsoft Office-sponsored team of Tucker, Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz; the team has made a important sweep through the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup series and the American Le Mans Series, making podium at countless races and winning at a number of others, among them Imola.
Keep in mind, not only good luck brought 2 veteran vehicle operators along with a novice making them win races. All the drivers specializes in another area and comes from a different history, nonetheless they all share a intense desire for racing sports cars and a level of knowledge and experience that lends itself to specific, managed, well balanced driving at greatest speed. They key to the team’s combined achievements is picking the right situation for driver order and race strategy-part of which involves Tucker reserving 2 of the Honda chassis prototypes.
Tucker and Bouchut, who has been his driving instructor at that time, made a decision to enter into the Le Mans Prototype class after looking at the car last year. The make of the car was unique enough, but since the series might have Class A and Class B individuals race along at the championship, Tucker wanted in. Bouchut, one of the more successful endurance drivers worldwide and an industry expert, ended up helping Tucker improve since his Grand-Am first appearance, and the two entered the LMPC program together full-time last year.
A second alluring aspect of the new prototype class was a brand-new IMSA rule helped guy drivers in LMPC or GTC class to drive 2 cars, with the scoring driver in the higher-placed entry. That allowance spawned Level 5 Motorsports’ winning Nos. 55 and 95 cars, which carried the team through the next season to win the LMP championship, which bumped Level 5 into the LMP2 class, for which the HPD ARX-01g cars will take over starting last weekend.
The process involved with two vehicles worked for Level 5 Motorsports, with an incredibly specialized veteran in Christophe Bouchut and the other coming at the beginning of This year in Luis Diaz. Tucker, who has been a beginner at age 44 in 2006, got training with the two-car tactic Level 5 uses, saving himself effort and time and helping the team’s infrastructure all the while.
Tucker had largely kept out of the spot light, however he quickly built a wonderful track record right after his racing introduction. But Le Mans had always been certainly one of his goals, and so once the moment was right enough, he included high-profile racing experienced to his inner circle and set about leaving the Level 5 mark on nearly every ALMS and ILMC track he could.
Last year, Bouchut entered his 17th Le Mans race; just 14 additional drivers have ever completed the race more times. But Tucker had never appeared in Le Mans; technique again played an integral part in achieving success in the race. Though Bouchut could effortlessly take on the series’ top notch drivers, the full Level 5 team had to hold their own in order to be successful. Bouchut was slated as the lead driver, with Tucker and Manu Rodriguez rounding out the group. The team’s collective goal was to qualify at a strong pace and be competitive, a mind-set that has continued in the 2011 year. With seemingly never-ending list in their minds-get the ideal car, qualify strong, stay competitive, always aim for the win-the Level 5 team arranges race day around it.
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Written by Sarah Barnes on December 22nd, 2011 with comments disabled.
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Scott Tucker was going to race Level 5 Motorsports’ new HPD ARX-01g car when he could. That determination was evident when he and the team decided to hold back until the final possible minute to produce a concluding decision on the 6 hours of Silverstone race: It was all or nothing. Unfortunately, cost-capped wheels for the car weren’t accessible in time for Level 5 to maintain its entry in Silverstone; Tucker withdrew. “I knew there was a risk in waiting for the parts, with them not being guaranteed,” Tucker states. “But the car is undoubtedly the best vehicle performance-wise that we can get, so I was determined to give it a shot. The HPD engine and chassis combination has proved to be the best over the years.We feel very comfortable and confident in making this unprecedented and decisive move.” Determination, risk, and refusing to settle for anything but the best-sounds similar to racing.
Specific decisions and ultimate control are part of what makes drivers successful, and Level 5 has had its fair share of success. The team has made podium finishes in some of the biggest races of the past year, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Six Hours of Imola.
Last month, the crew competed in the four-mile Road America circuit for the sixth round of the ALMS season and won its class, which continued Level 5′s undefeated record in American Le Mans Series competition this year. In that one weekend, Tucker, the reigning ALMS LMPC champion, tackled six races in four different series. He earned podium finishes in the IMSA Prototype Lites, IMSA GT3 Challenge by Yokohama and SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am races, and he won the Trans-Am T2 class, his 55th career victory in international competition. Co-driver Luis Diaz earned his 10th career ALMS victory. “As far as I know, the championship is now locked up,” team manager David Stone had said.
Nevertheless, as Tucker and co-drivers Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz hit the street with all the new HPD ARX-01g at the LMS enduro today, they’ll have plenty of catching up to do after taking Silverstone off. “As a team, you never want to miss a race, a practice or a chance to prepare,” Tucker says. “But we’re really looking to perform well and get acquainted with the HPD ARX-01g at Mazda Laguna Seca so we can look ahead to Petit.”
While considering options for the Silverstone race, Level 5 was given the option to compete with the HPD ARX-01g using grandfathered-in specifications, but the team ultimately decided that racing with modified specifications on the car would defeat its purpose. In order to prepare the car for the six-hour LMS enduro today, additional mechanics flew to the Wirth workshop in England last week. When it was finished, the car got a one-way ticket to San Francisco.
Preliminary tests with the HPD ARX-01g were promising, with all three drivers optimistic about the weekend’s race. Especially important was calibrating the drivers’ balances with the new vehicle. Tucker, who began his driving career in 2006, has been known for his unwavering balance since he began. At his first appearance in Le Mans, the Super Bowl of motorsports, he cranked more than 200mph-in the dark- with an Audi R10, the first American to be behind an Audi turbodiesel’s wheel in competition. His decision to skip Silverstone hearkens the same calm confidence. With a winning year already clinched, committing to the Six Hours of Silverstone in the old car just wasn’t as valuable as the possibility that Level 5 might be able to drive its HPD ARX-01g. Just as in races, Tucker set his sights on a goal and let the situation unfold. Although the Silverstone absence meant lost time and points, Tucker and his team are just gearing up for a winning finish to an already dazzling year.
To make up for lost time and points, Level 5 plans to contest the final two ILMC rounds in Atlanta and China.
To get more information about Scott Tucker, check out Planet Le Scott Tucker.
Written by Susan Hall on December 22nd, 2011 with comments disabled.
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Scott Tucker and his Level 5 Motorsports teammates recently began the final quarter of a racing year that has included numerous podium appearances, multiple car changes, incredible accomplishments and yet still room for improvement. Tucker, owner and driver for Level 5, has been a leader for the team despite the rookie status he maintained just months ago. His tight, balanced driving has earned him top honors in the American Le Mans Series as Rookie of the Year and Champion Driver in 2010. His races often end with stints on the podium, and his career has only just begun.
As Tucker, his co-drivers Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz and team manager David Stone prepare to close the calendar year with the all-important Petit Le Mans and the Ferrari International Finals, the stakes are high-the team has woven itself a reputation of excellence that is best understood by looking back at what has made 2011 a stunning year for Level 5 Motorsports.
In January, the Level 5 team began its 2011 race schedule with the GRAND-AM The Roar prior to 24 test sessions, in Daytona, Florida. Its two Microsoft Office-sponsored entries proved themselves powerful vehicles for their drivers’ talents. While in the final test session the No. 055 Microsoft Office BMW Riley and the No. 95 Microsoft Office BMW Riley finished 2-3. Tucker, Bouchut, Diaz and Mark Wilkins drove the No. 55 and sped through a 127.533 mph lap, just a half-second behind Starworks Motorsports Ford Riley, No. 8. Tucker also drove the No. 95, along with Ryan Hunter-Reay, Raphael Matos and Richard Westbrook. The drivers completed a lap of 127.465 mph, a time less than one-tenth of a second off of the No. 55 BMW Riley.
The Level 5 team proved its versatility since the season opened up with rule changes and a freshly paved racetrack at Daytona International Speedway. The three-day test session for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series was an indicator of things to come for the team. Over the practiced sessions, the team gradually built momentum by making small changes with every run, eventually building up to the point that the drivers were barely off the top speed by weekend’s end.
In the fourth test session, the No. 95 rose to 5th on the speed chart with a lap of 125.898 mph. Its counterpart, the No. 55, earned its way to a second-place position by the sixth session with a lap of 126.9189 mph.
Not just did Tucker drive both cars for the Roar before the 24, he was also a participant in the Sports Car Club of America’s Double National event at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. He finished second both days of the race. “I want as much time on the track as possible,” he said at the time. “Getting in tune with the car is paramount to setting up for a successful season.”
The Roar before the 24 is much like preseason games in other sports; it gives drivers a chance to shake off any lingering problems from the previous year and preview the type of year that is to come. Many big motorsports names are on hand at the Roar before the 24, and many of the stars who test at the Roar are enrolled in the Rolex 24 at Daytona during subsequent weekends.
The results of the Roar before the 24 set Level 5 Motorsports in a perfect position for season’s start: beating the competition, but with some room for improvement. By exhibiting talent, control and skill on the raceway, Tucker and his teammates immediately established Level 5 Motorsports as a frontrunner for the coming races. Next up: the Rolex 24.
Want to find more information about race car driver Scott Tucker Scott Tucker
Written by Sheryl Kuhn on December 22nd, 2011 with comments disabled.
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