The Level 5 Motorsports team's 2011 season has proven it a versatile, dominant team stocked with talent, skill and determination. Commanding the podium at the majority of the races it entered-including winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and podium at Imola and Sebring, among others-is proof that the Scott Tucker-owned, Microsoft Office-sponsored team has found a winning formula in its schedule, race strategy and drivers, including Tucker, Luis Diaz and Christophe Bouchut. As they began the final quarter of an already unbelievable season with the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patron mid-September, all their ducks seemed to be in a row: their equation had been proven again and again as reliable for an effective winning effort. But this race contained one wild card, or wild car, as the case might be-the team would finally debut the HPD ARX-01g they had announced they were switching to mid-season.
The Level 5 team estimated the automobile to be a beneficial multiplier for their already winning equation, but as is the situation in racing, they also knew always to expect the unpredicted. For another team, the chance and risk of stepping into a completely new automobile so near to the season's most significant races could mess up drivers and the team's rhythm, but Level 5 is composed of drivers who have knowledge not merely adapting to automobile changes but also in motor racing itself.
"Experience counts," said Christophe Bouchut prior to the ModSpace race. "We've worked hard to prepare for this race, but it's still brand new and there are still things to check." The team opened the gearbox for evaluation, sitting out of a final practice time to familiarise themselves with the completely new vehicle as much as possible before its 1st run. Still, Bouchut was right: A car can be checked out repeatedly, and the race strategy can be cemented into the drivers' heads, but there comes a time for drivers when lessons from earlier race knowledge gets control with a sort of gut instinct and sensibility that can't be taught.
Tucker may be the least skilled driver on the Level 5 team, but what he lacks in years driving he makes up for with a outstanding learning curve that barely existed to start with. A novice in 2006 when he was 44, Tucker displayed natural skill and unexpected skill in the Ferrari Challenge Series before he made Level 5 Motorsports and began developing a dream team of individuals. As the seasons developed, Tucker began seeing his first major success. In 2009, he won the Sports Car Club of America National Championship. Later on, he was the very first American to drive one of Audi's V-12 turbodiesels in a competition, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The love for motorsports as well as an unrelenting search for excellence-which has caused him to hold an ultra-disciplined physical fitness schedule and also a hard, three-series race schedule-have catapulted his short career into the territory of his counterparts, whose very first races weren't too long after their first birthdays.
Christophe Bouchut, part of the Level 5 dream team, is among the best endurance drivers on the planet. His wins have included the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. He has also won 3 Porsche Carrera Cup France championships, three FIA GT titles and a FFSA GT championship. He is the only triple FIA GT champion ever. Bouchut has been driving with Tucker's Level 5 team since 2008, adding his experience to Tucker's burgeoning motorsports empire and becoming a fundamental piece of the team's success.
Luis Diaz drove in the Toyota Atlantic and Indy Lights Series from 1999 to 2003 before moving to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series in 2004 when he co-drove the No. 01 car with former Champ Car competitor Scott Pruett for Chip Ganassi Racing. 3 years later, Diaz moved again, this time into the American Le Mans Series, driving an LMP2 Lola B06/43-Acura for Fernandez Racing, and won the class championship in 2009. Diaz was also titled Most Popular Driver that year. Diaz's experience with Level 5 Motorsports is limited only to this year's season, but his knowledge of the LMP2 cars has without doubt been very helpful to the ever-changing team.
Level 5 Motorsports continues to operate on a near-perfect mix of natural talent, interest, skill and experience. The cohesive blend of the drivers' experience has established the team as dominant frontrunners in multiple series and allowed the 2011 momentum to go on with the completely new HPD ARX-01g vehicle.
The Level 5 team estimated the automobile to be a beneficial multiplier for their already winning equation, but as is the situation in racing, they also knew always to expect the unpredicted. For another team, the chance and risk of stepping into a completely new automobile so near to the season's most significant races could mess up drivers and the team's rhythm, but Level 5 is composed of drivers who have knowledge not merely adapting to automobile changes but also in motor racing itself.
"Experience counts," said Christophe Bouchut prior to the ModSpace race. "We've worked hard to prepare for this race, but it's still brand new and there are still things to check." The team opened the gearbox for evaluation, sitting out of a final practice time to familiarise themselves with the completely new vehicle as much as possible before its 1st run. Still, Bouchut was right: A car can be checked out repeatedly, and the race strategy can be cemented into the drivers' heads, but there comes a time for drivers when lessons from earlier race knowledge gets control with a sort of gut instinct and sensibility that can't be taught.
Tucker may be the least skilled driver on the Level 5 team, but what he lacks in years driving he makes up for with a outstanding learning curve that barely existed to start with. A novice in 2006 when he was 44, Tucker displayed natural skill and unexpected skill in the Ferrari Challenge Series before he made Level 5 Motorsports and began developing a dream team of individuals. As the seasons developed, Tucker began seeing his first major success. In 2009, he won the Sports Car Club of America National Championship. Later on, he was the very first American to drive one of Audi's V-12 turbodiesels in a competition, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The love for motorsports as well as an unrelenting search for excellence-which has caused him to hold an ultra-disciplined physical fitness schedule and also a hard, three-series race schedule-have catapulted his short career into the territory of his counterparts, whose very first races weren't too long after their first birthdays.
Christophe Bouchut, part of the Level 5 dream team, is among the best endurance drivers on the planet. His wins have included the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. He has also won 3 Porsche Carrera Cup France championships, three FIA GT titles and a FFSA GT championship. He is the only triple FIA GT champion ever. Bouchut has been driving with Tucker's Level 5 team since 2008, adding his experience to Tucker's burgeoning motorsports empire and becoming a fundamental piece of the team's success.
Luis Diaz drove in the Toyota Atlantic and Indy Lights Series from 1999 to 2003 before moving to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series in 2004 when he co-drove the No. 01 car with former Champ Car competitor Scott Pruett for Chip Ganassi Racing. 3 years later, Diaz moved again, this time into the American Le Mans Series, driving an LMP2 Lola B06/43-Acura for Fernandez Racing, and won the class championship in 2009. Diaz was also titled Most Popular Driver that year. Diaz's experience with Level 5 Motorsports is limited only to this year's season, but his knowledge of the LMP2 cars has without doubt been very helpful to the ever-changing team.
Level 5 Motorsports continues to operate on a near-perfect mix of natural talent, interest, skill and experience. The cohesive blend of the drivers' experience has established the team as dominant frontrunners in multiple series and allowed the 2011 momentum to go on with the completely new HPD ARX-01g vehicle.
About the Author:
Level 5 Motorsports, owned by 5-time National Champion Scott Tucker is a team comprised of Champions. Our presence is well-known atop podiums at racing circuits the world over, including 6 wins in the prestigious American Le Mans Series Scott Tucker
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