October 12th - For the past two races in which Level 5 Motorsports has competed, the team's main strategy has had to be simply: Avoid traffic. Owner-driver Scott Tucker purchased two Honda prototypes for the team mid-season this year, and so far the cars have given the team very little to worry about. At American Le Mans Series Monterey at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway earlier in September, Tucker nailed a first-place finish in the first of the two prototypes. Later, in October, both LMP2 entries rode in Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Hoping to fend off the top-of-the-field Nissan entries, Tucker and his team drove the cars to another first-place finish. After the Nissan experienced mechanical problems, the Level 5 Honda HPD ARX-01g entry gained a multiple-lap lead. The drivers of the winning No. 33-Tucker, Christophe Bouchut and Joao Barbosa-needed only to maintain the lead and avoid traffic. As Barbosa said, the track was crowded, and collisions could easily happen.
Traffic hasn't been too much of a concern for the Level 5 drivers. With years of experience under most of their belts, they've mastered the art of driving at triple-digit speeds around corners and weaving through other cars doing the same. But earlier this year, the Level 5 team experienced a catastrophic crash at Spa-Francorchamps during the 1000 km of Spa, the one blemish on an almost flawless racing season for Level 5. G-forces and inertia are forces motorsports drivers must endure every time they race cars. If they don't exhibit the utmost control over the vehicles, things can get out of hand quickly-especially when the lanes are narrow and not much room exists for error.
Tucker took Speed TV along with him for a lap at Sebring and described the track to provide a drivers-eye view of a typical racing lap. For the most part, he identified the track as being bumpy, but mostly flat. Tucker was able to maintain speeds of 160 mph and faster. Several times coming into turns, he was required to cut left, then right, then left again in a relatively short period of time. Right after turn seven and right around turn 16, drivers enjoy long straightaways that allow for convenient passing. However, Tucker said, the roughest part of the track is right after turn 17. "The car gets all crazy and wants to push outside," Tucker said. That's where the skill, focus and control of a driver comes into play. Luckily for Level 5, driver skill is abundant.
Tucker began his professional racing career in 2008 at 44 years old, having never sat in the driver's seat of a race car before. His commitment to the sport in the years following his debut have earned him a spot in the most elite group of motorsports athletes in the world. "I've worked extremely hard to get to where I am now," Tucker has said. While he was getting up to speed on the ins and outs of motorsports, he relied on co-driver and then mentor Christophe Bouchut, one of the most experienced endurance drivers in the industry.
Now, the team has grown and added two brand new Honda prototypes to the roster. After the cars were finally track-ready just two weeks ago, the drivers did a crash-course orientation with the cars. Although the prototypes were nearly flawless in construction, adjustments had to be made in order to accommodate driver comfort. If the drivers weren't properly situated in the cars, counteracting the driving forces and executing turns and hard braking wouldn't be achievable.
Traffic hasn't been too much of a concern for the Level 5 drivers. With years of experience under most of their belts, they've mastered the art of driving at triple-digit speeds around corners and weaving through other cars doing the same. But earlier this year, the Level 5 team experienced a catastrophic crash at Spa-Francorchamps during the 1000 km of Spa, the one blemish on an almost flawless racing season for Level 5. G-forces and inertia are forces motorsports drivers must endure every time they race cars. If they don't exhibit the utmost control over the vehicles, things can get out of hand quickly-especially when the lanes are narrow and not much room exists for error.
Tucker took Speed TV along with him for a lap at Sebring and described the track to provide a drivers-eye view of a typical racing lap. For the most part, he identified the track as being bumpy, but mostly flat. Tucker was able to maintain speeds of 160 mph and faster. Several times coming into turns, he was required to cut left, then right, then left again in a relatively short period of time. Right after turn seven and right around turn 16, drivers enjoy long straightaways that allow for convenient passing. However, Tucker said, the roughest part of the track is right after turn 17. "The car gets all crazy and wants to push outside," Tucker said. That's where the skill, focus and control of a driver comes into play. Luckily for Level 5, driver skill is abundant.
Tucker began his professional racing career in 2008 at 44 years old, having never sat in the driver's seat of a race car before. His commitment to the sport in the years following his debut have earned him a spot in the most elite group of motorsports athletes in the world. "I've worked extremely hard to get to where I am now," Tucker has said. While he was getting up to speed on the ins and outs of motorsports, he relied on co-driver and then mentor Christophe Bouchut, one of the most experienced endurance drivers in the industry.
Now, the team has grown and added two brand new Honda prototypes to the roster. After the cars were finally track-ready just two weeks ago, the drivers did a crash-course orientation with the cars. Although the prototypes were nearly flawless in construction, adjustments had to be made in order to accommodate driver comfort. If the drivers weren't properly situated in the cars, counteracting the driving forces and executing turns and hard braking wouldn't be achievable.
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