2011 - The history of Scott Tucker's career is exactly what some would most likely call a Cinderella story, an American classic: A winning private equity investor from a Kansas town enters his first professional motorsports race at the age of 44, and five-years later, he's regularly on the podium soon after races in various series-Grand-Am, Ferrari, American Le Mans Series and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Earlier this year, Tucker made podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in his debut season in the LMP2 class.
Of course, not just any individual could do the late-bloomer success Tucker has achieved. His skill, stamina, tactic and range of real information would not exist if not for an enormous desire for the adventure. Scott Tucker loves cars-before he had the opportunity to race, he built a sort-of car gallery within the Leawood, Kansas house. So it's appropriate that Tucker, the improbable American Le Mans hero, would be the 1st American to get in his team in the Le Mans Prototype class in nearly Twenty five years.
"Breaking into the Le Mans series has always been on my mind," Scott Tucker explained. "I could wait another 10 years for the time to be right, but we got an opportunity and decided to go for it."
The Le Mans Prototype, or LMP, are the best closed-wheel racing cars on modern circuit racing tracks. Their cost and modern technology are identical to that of Formula One cars, but LMP automobiles top out at even greater speeds than Formula 1 vehicles. It's no wonder Tucker couldn't wait to get in one. After he barreled through the LMP series, Tucker moved into the LMP2 class. Mid-season, a Honda Performance Development/Wirth Research partnership was finishing work on a cost-capped prototype that would allow for greater speeds when compared with other LMP2 engines. It wasn't any wonder when Tucker reserved the very first two out of development.
The Le Mans Prototype was utilized the first time at the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans, when a small field of competition caused the race to be open to small, open-cockpit race cars using production road car engines to try and expand the field. At the end of that 12 months, the World Sportscar Championship and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship organizations dissolved, which left really expensive Group C prototypes with little competition beyond Le Mans races, which were quite few. As Group C became dated, the Le Mans Prototype class was designed. In 1999, the American Le Mans Series was developed, allowing for a significantly larger competitor base because more Le Mans races would be held each year.
Now a days, a motorist can race in an LMP, LMP2 or LMP1 class, in 2 of which Tucker has made his mark. In 2010, throughout his debut season in the Le Mans series, Tucker took the LMP championship and won rookie of the year. Continuing to move forward in to LMP2 for the 2011 season, Tucker begun accumulating podium finishes at breakneck speed, with beautiful finishes at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Infineon and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Tucker together with his Level 5 Motorsports team might be just what the United states of america needs to bring larger appreciation of racing. With NASCAR largely dominating motorsports interest and not even a sole Le Mans Prototype entry coming from the nation in a quarter century, there's been a lack of depth in auto racing coverage. Tucker's strong story, his own apparent fun for the sport and his undeniable success are a verifiable formula for a figure whom everyone could get behind.
Of course, not just any individual could do the late-bloomer success Tucker has achieved. His skill, stamina, tactic and range of real information would not exist if not for an enormous desire for the adventure. Scott Tucker loves cars-before he had the opportunity to race, he built a sort-of car gallery within the Leawood, Kansas house. So it's appropriate that Tucker, the improbable American Le Mans hero, would be the 1st American to get in his team in the Le Mans Prototype class in nearly Twenty five years.
"Breaking into the Le Mans series has always been on my mind," Scott Tucker explained. "I could wait another 10 years for the time to be right, but we got an opportunity and decided to go for it."
The Le Mans Prototype, or LMP, are the best closed-wheel racing cars on modern circuit racing tracks. Their cost and modern technology are identical to that of Formula One cars, but LMP automobiles top out at even greater speeds than Formula 1 vehicles. It's no wonder Tucker couldn't wait to get in one. After he barreled through the LMP series, Tucker moved into the LMP2 class. Mid-season, a Honda Performance Development/Wirth Research partnership was finishing work on a cost-capped prototype that would allow for greater speeds when compared with other LMP2 engines. It wasn't any wonder when Tucker reserved the very first two out of development.
The Le Mans Prototype was utilized the first time at the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans, when a small field of competition caused the race to be open to small, open-cockpit race cars using production road car engines to try and expand the field. At the end of that 12 months, the World Sportscar Championship and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship organizations dissolved, which left really expensive Group C prototypes with little competition beyond Le Mans races, which were quite few. As Group C became dated, the Le Mans Prototype class was designed. In 1999, the American Le Mans Series was developed, allowing for a significantly larger competitor base because more Le Mans races would be held each year.
Now a days, a motorist can race in an LMP, LMP2 or LMP1 class, in 2 of which Tucker has made his mark. In 2010, throughout his debut season in the Le Mans series, Tucker took the LMP championship and won rookie of the year. Continuing to move forward in to LMP2 for the 2011 season, Tucker begun accumulating podium finishes at breakneck speed, with beautiful finishes at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Infineon and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Tucker together with his Level 5 Motorsports team might be just what the United states of america needs to bring larger appreciation of racing. With NASCAR largely dominating motorsports interest and not even a sole Le Mans Prototype entry coming from the nation in a quarter century, there's been a lack of depth in auto racing coverage. Tucker's strong story, his own apparent fun for the sport and his undeniable success are a verifiable formula for a figure whom everyone could get behind.
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