Level 5 Motorsports Takes Point Lead To Long Beach

Daytona, Apr. 8, 2011: Level 5 Motorsports hopes to maintain its momentum coming into round two of the American Le Mans Series this weekend on the Streets of Long Beach, California. The team is coming off its second-consecutive win in the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring, the season-opener for the American Le Mans Series, last month.

Scott Tucker, winner of multiple national championships, will be behind the wheel of both the No. 33 and No. 055 Honda-powered Lola LMP2 entries for the Long Beach race. He will be joined in the No. 33 by long-time teammate Christophe Bouchut; and in the No. 055 by Luis Diaz, who co-drove the car to victory at Sebring.

The 12 Hours of Sebring marked Level 5 Motorsports’ debut in the LMP2 class after Tucker and team won the American Le Mans Series LMPC championship in 2010.

“At Sebring, we simply picked up where we left off last year, only in a new and more challenging class in the ALMS,” Tucker said. “We expected to be very competitive in LMP2 right off the bat. But, you never know what’s ahead when you move into a new venture like we have.

“The Level 5 Microsoft Office 365 team responded to the challenge like champions. The crew worked hard and prepared great cars at Sebring, and we know we will have great cars coming into Long Beach.”

Level 5 will make its second appearance on the Streets of Long Beach. Tucker and Bouchut drove to a second-place finish in the LMPC class last season on the street circuit, long considered one of the most challenging venues on the American Le Mans Series schedule. The course is slick and passing opportunities are rare.

“The team showed its ability a year ago when we scored a podium finish at Long Beach,” said Level 5 Motorsports Team Manager David Stone. “That’s a pretty narrow course. It takes patience and smart driving. We’ve got a proven line-up of drivers and I have no doubt they will be prepared.”

In addition to its quest for a second-consecutive American Le Mans Series title, Level 5 Motorsports is participating in the prestigious Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in 2011. The team got off to a great start in ILMC competition, scoring valuable points at Sebring.

“We’ve got big goals this year, for sure,” said Tucker. “A world championship will not come easy. But nothing worth having ever does.”

In May, Tucker and the Level 5 team will participate in the second leg of the ILMC in the 24 Hours of Spa at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The 24-hour endurance classic is considered one of the most prestigious races in motorsports.

A 15-minute qualifying session for the LMP2 cars is set for Friday at 8:50 p.m. ET. The green flag will wave over the two-hour race on Saturday beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. The race will be carried live on ESPN3.com with a recap show slated for Sunday, April 17, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.