A year in Review for Scott Tucker

Coming off exciting test finishes in the Roar prior to the 24, Scott Tucker-owned Level 5 Motorsports had another thing planned: Make Daytona count. One of the greatest races of the season, the Daytona 24 also was the very first on Level 5′s schedule, and the team wasted virtually no time entering a fantastic mindset.

“We brought the dogs to the hunt,” said team manager David Stone. “Hopefully they’ll do a great job; it’d be huge for this team to come off the start of the year with a huge win at a race like Daytona.”

The Microsoft Office-sponsored Level 5 entered its No. 95 and No. 55 in the race, which began at 3:30 in the afternoon, running during the night and in to the following day. Temperature variation and daylight are additional circumstances a team must consider past the usual race checklist in a 24-hour stint.

To have a solid idea of the winning mindset of Level 5 Motorsports, consider this: Tucker with his fantastic team declined to qualify both cars in the race, accepting the dead-last start position over spending pre-race time in a qualifier. Said a mechanic: “Qualifying for a 24-hour race is completely meaningless. Anything that’s not directly related to winning this race, we’re going to opt out of.”

Early in the race, Tucker’s No. 95 got caught in a stack-up near the end of the pack, forcing it to head to pit. Cornered in with no exit available, the bump couldn’t be avoided-a frustrating turn of events for the Level 5 team. Tucker got back on the track in enough time to make up some for the loss before passing the wheel to his teammates.

Christophe Bouchut maneuvered the Level 5 car towards the front of the pack and held there for many laps. “Things were running very well, and lap after lap was great,” Bouchut stated. Bouchut is one of the most successful endurance drivers and a past winner of the Daytona 24. He’s been with the Level 5 team since its 2008 season and earned his 100th career victory this past year.

Just before Luis Diaz took over just after the sun went down, he told commentators he was getting excited about the lap. The 1st driver of the team to relish the low temperatures , Luis entered the track following a great pit stop. The race was his debut with Level 5 Motorsports. Previously, he’d been voted “Most Popular Driver” in 2009. “Scott Tucker really puts together a great driver lineup,” said a commentator. Not just is the roster stacked with talent and skill, but the driver order maximizes the Level 5 team’s achievement, with consistency throughout.

Although Tucker’s entire team delivered outstanding performances, it wasn’t quite enough to get Level 5 on the podium. The Madison, Wisc.-based team finished 8th overall. “This team has really grown,” said a commenter. “[The finish] doesn’t show any lack of determination, mechanical ability or driving ability. It’s just a tough race to win, and we’re looking forward to a great season.”

After wrapping up the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Level 5 Motorsports team looked ahead to a race half its time, the 12 Hours of Sebring

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