A year in Review For Scott Tucker : ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey

The earliest race from the very last quarter in the racing year was a brand new start for Level 5 Motorsports. The Scott Tucker-owned, Microsoft Office-sponsored team first showed its long-awaited HPD ARX-01g in the team’s Sept. 17 return to American Le Mans Series competition. In the weeks before the ModSpace race, Tucker’s and teammates Luis Diaz’s and Christophe Bouchut’s track appearances were irregular, producing last-minute withdrawals to be able to pursue the newest cost-capped LMP2 Honda in time for the world’s best challengers in Intercontinental Le Mans Cup races at the end of the year.

Without having a suitable auto tires for the vehicle in time forced Level 5 to pull away from the Silverstone ILMC race that would have taken place just a few days before the ModSpace race at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. Without having plenty of competitors made the team withdraw from several ALMS races in July, including the Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock Park in Connecticut and the Grand Prix of Mosport in Ontario, Canada. Inside the first year in the LMP2 class, Level 5 Motorsports desired to proceed progressing in the class, and races with no other LMP2 entries didn’t seem worth the laps. With a brand new, state-of-the-art car in creation and immense ILMC end-of-season races thriving ever closer, they focused entirely on preparing itself for international competition-the best opponents worldwide had to give.

The team went into the summer in very good standing, with Tucker and Bouchut leading in points and the whole group producing a large number of podium appearances in all three series in which it’s entered. After the HPD ARX-01g began its racing season at the Laguna Seca race, it fell directly into line with the rest of its team. The very first was impressive, offering on its manufacturer promise of greater speed and not suffering one mechanical predicament or unplanned pit stop. The Level 5 team drove to a fourth-place over-all end with highest points in the LMP2 category, just one more exceptional feat for the team’s very first season.

The win secured the drivers’ championship for Tucker and Bouchut in time for the all-important Petit le Mans, that means Tucker is on track to be a four-time national driving champion. That his job itself is only 5 years old speaks to his raw talent, determination and incredible development as a driver. That he also raced in two races in addition to the ModSpace contest speaks to the fact that he’s a little nuts-or just versatile, enduring and is able to win, considering he added double wins in the extra races to the win at Laguna Seca.

With the ModSpace ALMS out of the way, the race season started winding down in time but winding up in energy as drivers continued preparing for the Petit Le Mans and the last round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in China. With the year schedule back on track and a cutting edge ride to boot, Level 5 Motorsports will aim to continue its momentum and end up as it started: on top.

Scott Tucker’s Level 5 Motorsports are 2011 ALMS Champions Scott Tucker