The Level 5 team's 2011 season has proven it a versatile, dominating team filled with skills, skill and determination. Commanding the podium in the majority of the competitions 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 fantastic method in its schedule, race strategy and drivers, including Tucker, Luis Diaz and Christophe Bouchut. When they began the final quarter of an already wonderful season with the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey provided by Patron mid-September, all their ducks seemed to be in a row: their equation had been proven time upon time as trustworthy for an effective winning effort. But this race included 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 new car so near to the season's most important races could throw off drivers and the team's flow, but Level 5 is composed of drivers that have experience not merely adapting to vehicle adjustments but also in motorsports itself.
"Experience counts," said Christophe Bouchut before 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 up the gearbox for evaluation, sitting out of a final practice session to familiarize themselves with the brand new automobile as much as possible before its 1st run. Still, Bouchut was right: A car can be looked over many times, and the race strategy can be cemented into the drivers' minds, but there comes a point for drivers when lessons from former race knowledge takes over with a sort of gut instinct and sensibility that can't be taught.
Tucker is the least skilled driver on the Level 5 team, but what he lacks in years in the driver's seat he makes up for with a spectacular learning curve that barely existed to start with. A novice in 2006 at the age of 44, Tucker displayed natural skill and unexpected skill in the Ferrari Challenge Series before he created Level 5 Motorsports and began setting up a dream team of motorists. As the seasons progressed, Tucker began seeing his first major success. In 2009, he won the Sports Car Club of America National Championship. Later, he was the 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 put together with an unrelenting search for excellence-which has caused him to hold an ultra-disciplined training program as well as a intense, three-series race schedule-have catapulted his brief career into the territory of his counterparts, whose 1st races weren't too long after their first birthdays.
Christophe Bouchut, part of the Level 5 dream team, is among the most successful endurance drivers in this world. 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 several 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 an integral part 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. Three 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 named Most Popular Driver that season. Diaz's experience with Level 5 Motorsports is limited to only the 2011 season, but his knowledge of the LMP2 cars has undoubtedly been invaluable to the ever-changing team.
Level 5 Motorsports continues to operate on a near-perfect mixture of skills, passion, skill and experience. The cohesive blend of the drivers' backgrounds has established the team as dominant frontrunners in multiple series and allowed the 2011 momentum to carry on with the brand-new HPD ARX-01g car.
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 new car so near to the season's most important races could throw off drivers and the team's flow, but Level 5 is composed of drivers that have experience not merely adapting to vehicle adjustments but also in motorsports itself.
"Experience counts," said Christophe Bouchut before 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 up the gearbox for evaluation, sitting out of a final practice session to familiarize themselves with the brand new automobile as much as possible before its 1st run. Still, Bouchut was right: A car can be looked over many times, and the race strategy can be cemented into the drivers' minds, but there comes a point for drivers when lessons from former race knowledge takes over with a sort of gut instinct and sensibility that can't be taught.
Tucker is the least skilled driver on the Level 5 team, but what he lacks in years in the driver's seat he makes up for with a spectacular learning curve that barely existed to start with. A novice in 2006 at the age of 44, Tucker displayed natural skill and unexpected skill in the Ferrari Challenge Series before he created Level 5 Motorsports and began setting up a dream team of motorists. As the seasons progressed, Tucker began seeing his first major success. In 2009, he won the Sports Car Club of America National Championship. Later, he was the 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 put together with an unrelenting search for excellence-which has caused him to hold an ultra-disciplined training program as well as a intense, three-series race schedule-have catapulted his brief career into the territory of his counterparts, whose 1st races weren't too long after their first birthdays.
Christophe Bouchut, part of the Level 5 dream team, is among the most successful endurance drivers in this world. 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 several 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 an integral part 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. Three 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 named Most Popular Driver that season. Diaz's experience with Level 5 Motorsports is limited to only the 2011 season, but his knowledge of the LMP2 cars has undoubtedly been invaluable to the ever-changing team.
Level 5 Motorsports continues to operate on a near-perfect mixture of skills, passion, skill and experience. The cohesive blend of the drivers' backgrounds has established the team as dominant frontrunners in multiple series and allowed the 2011 momentum to carry on with the brand-new HPD ARX-01g car.
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