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Scott Tucker, A Year In Review: Spa-Francorchamps

By Kaitlyn Tillman

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 25Oct2011
Word count: 636
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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.

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.

The second round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup series brought the Scott Tucker-owned Level 5 Motorsports team to Belgium for the Spa-Francorchamps 2011 race. The legendary course is known for being flat yet providing drivers with challenging curves to encounter even while racing at faster speeds relative to other tracks.

Tucker and his team, coming off wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Long Beach Street Circuit, were excited to be at the venue and see what the weekend had to bring. The Spa competition was dense and intense; the Le Mans series and the Intercontinental Le Mans series attract top talent from around the world to the legendary Spa track. "This is one of the greatest tracks in the world," Tucker said. "It's one of the faster tracks we run at. It's curvy but flat … you're flat to the floor."

In its runs at the ILMS season opener at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Lola Honda struggled to make top speed at the straightaways. For the Spa, all Honda vehicles were awarded a 1.2 mm larger air restrictor as compensation. After initial tests, said Level 5 driver Christophe Bouchut, the restrictor provided small increases in speed, but it was unclear pre-race how much of a difference the adjustment would make.

As it turned out, the restrictor didn't deliver the speed increase the Level 5 team had expected, a disappointing outcome that set the team at a bit of a disadvantage, though it wasn't over yet. In qualifying rounds, driven by Bouchut, the Honda finished 10th—not the result you might expect given the fast track, the driver talent and the restrictor adjustment.

After he had run the course, Tucker told members of the media his impression of the course: "It's as advertised: long and fast," he said. "In the prototype, the turns are so fast, and there are a lot of G's, so it will be very physically challenging over 6 hours."

But 6 hours didn't quite come as Tucker and the team expected. After some contact with a car speculated to be No. 41, the Level 5 vehicle came into pit for fuel and with damage in the right rear corner on the tail section. The section was changed out, and after fueling up, the car was back on track.

Then, just a couple of hours into the race, Bouchut suddenly spun into the barrels on the side of the track. Team manager David Stone speculated that something in the rear suspension had failed, but the team would have to await official investigation for the answer.

Although Level 5 Motorsports endured a disappointing conclusion to its second ILMC appearance, driver determination and skill were not in question. Just days away from another FC race in California, the team turned its attention toward its next opportunity.

Kaitlyn Tillman has been keeping a close eye on Scott Tucker, owner and driver, of Level 5 Motorsports throughout the past year to keep you posted about the success of the dream team. To get more information about Tucker, check out http://www.planetlemans.com/?s=scott+tucker

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