The story of Scott Tucker's career is actually some would call a Cinderella story, an American classic: A very good private equity investor coming from a Kansas city makes its way into his very first professional motorsports race at the age of Forty-four, and a few years later, he's regularly atop the podium just after races in a number of series-Grand-Am, Ferrari, American Le Mans Series and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Earlier this year, Tucker made podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in his debut season in the LMP2 class.
However, not just somebody could pull off the level of late-bloomer success Tucker has achieved. His ability, energy, approach and detail of expertise would not exist if not for an enormous passion for the sport. Scott Tucker loves cars-before he had the opportunity to race, he built a sort-of car museum in the Leawood, Kansas dwelling. So it's fitting that Tucker, the unlikely American Le Mans leading man, could be the first American to get in his team in the Le Mans Prototype class in nearly Twenty-five years.
"Breaking into the Le Mans series has always been on my mind," Scott Tucker said. "I could wait another Ten years for the time to be right, but we got an opportunity and decided to go for it."
The Le Mans Prototype, or LMP, are the best closed-wheel racing cars on up to date circuit racing tracks. Their price and technological know-how are akin to that of Formula One automobiles, but LMP vehicles top out at even greater speeds than Formula 1 cars. Not suprisingly Tucker couldn't wait to get in one. After he barreled through the LMP series, Tucker moved into the LMP2 class. Mid-season, a Honda Performance Development/Wirth Research partnership was finishing work on a cost-capped prototype that would permit improved speeds when compared to other LMP2 engines. It wasn't any wonder when Tucker reserved the first 2 out of development.
The Le Mans Prototype was used the very first time in the '92 24 Hours of Le Mans, whenever a small field of competition caused the race to be open to small, open-cockpit race cars using production road car engines in an attempt to expand the field. At the conclusion of that 12 months, the World Sportscar Championship and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship organizations dissolved, which left higher priced Group C prototypes without much competition beyond Le Mans races, which were quite few. As Group C became outmoded, the Le Mans Prototype class was made. In 1999, the American Le Mans Series was made, permitting a lot broader competitor base because more Le Mans races would be held each season.
In these modern times, a person can race in an LMP, LMP2 or LMP1 class, in two of which Tucker has made his mark. 2010, throughout his debut season in the Le Mans series, Tucker took the LMP championship and won rookie of the year. In the years ahead in to LMP2 for the 2011 season, Tucker begun accumulating podium finishes at breakneck speed, with inspiring finishes at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Infineon and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Tucker along with his Level 5 Motorsports team might be just what the United States needs to bring greater awareness to racing. With NASCAR largely dominating motorsports interest and not even a single Le Mans Prototype entry coming from the nation in a quarter century, there's been an absence of depth in auto racing coverage. Tucker's soul searching story, his own obvious joy for the sport and his unwavering success are a verifiable formula for a figure whom men and women could get behind.
However, not just somebody could pull off the level of late-bloomer success Tucker has achieved. His ability, energy, approach and detail of expertise would not exist if not for an enormous passion for the sport. Scott Tucker loves cars-before he had the opportunity to race, he built a sort-of car museum in the Leawood, Kansas dwelling. So it's fitting that Tucker, the unlikely American Le Mans leading man, could be the first American to get in his team in the Le Mans Prototype class in nearly Twenty-five years.
"Breaking into the Le Mans series has always been on my mind," Scott Tucker said. "I could wait another Ten years for the time to be right, but we got an opportunity and decided to go for it."
The Le Mans Prototype, or LMP, are the best closed-wheel racing cars on up to date circuit racing tracks. Their price and technological know-how are akin to that of Formula One automobiles, but LMP vehicles top out at even greater speeds than Formula 1 cars. Not suprisingly Tucker couldn't wait to get in one. After he barreled through the LMP series, Tucker moved into the LMP2 class. Mid-season, a Honda Performance Development/Wirth Research partnership was finishing work on a cost-capped prototype that would permit improved speeds when compared to other LMP2 engines. It wasn't any wonder when Tucker reserved the first 2 out of development.
The Le Mans Prototype was used the very first time in the '92 24 Hours of Le Mans, whenever a small field of competition caused the race to be open to small, open-cockpit race cars using production road car engines in an attempt to expand the field. At the conclusion of that 12 months, the World Sportscar Championship and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship organizations dissolved, which left higher priced Group C prototypes without much competition beyond Le Mans races, which were quite few. As Group C became outmoded, the Le Mans Prototype class was made. In 1999, the American Le Mans Series was made, permitting a lot broader competitor base because more Le Mans races would be held each season.
In these modern times, a person can race in an LMP, LMP2 or LMP1 class, in two of which Tucker has made his mark. 2010, throughout his debut season in the Le Mans series, Tucker took the LMP championship and won rookie of the year. In the years ahead in to LMP2 for the 2011 season, Tucker begun accumulating podium finishes at breakneck speed, with inspiring finishes at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Infineon and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Tucker along with his Level 5 Motorsports team might be just what the United States needs to bring greater awareness to racing. With NASCAR largely dominating motorsports interest and not even a single Le Mans Prototype entry coming from the nation in a quarter century, there's been an absence of depth in auto racing coverage. Tucker's soul searching story, his own obvious joy for the sport and his unwavering success are a verifiable formula for a figure whom men and women could get behind.
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