Overland Park, Kan. (June 9, 2008) – Crashes, flats, or inclement weather can be a part of any race, but winners aren't distracted despite extraneous circumstances. The LevelFive Motorsports Boardwalk Ferrari F430 Challenge car, respected by all and known to many, delivered itself in style, even with its race day challenges.
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was the site in Montreal, Quebec at the Montréal Ferrari F430 Challenge and IMSA Challenge Porsche GT3 SuperCup this past weekend. The 2.709-mile (4.361 km) road course proved a challenge for many teams during practice and qualifying sessions from the outset.
As the Montreal Ferrari F430 Challenge was well underway, driver Scott Tucker, sprinted from 10th to 3rd within the first few laps. Charging through the field, he was already planning his next move as he caught second place, Jay Lee, as Lee had a near spin coming out of the final chicanes. Tucker, avoided contact with Lee bypassing the chicane using the safety zone.
In bypassing the chicane during the race, though no gain was made, Tucker was required to serve a "stop and go" penalty. After serving the penalty a serious crash occurred between the # 33 and the # 00 of Allie Ash and Owen Kratz which brought out a red flag. Tucker settled for 9th place.
Ed Zabinski, Tucker's Rolex Grand-Am Series co-driver, knew that this day was bound to face some challenges.
"Coming off the strong performance in early May at Infineon Raceway our expectations were high. We struggled with set up during practice and qualifying, the track was very low grip. It was constantly changing with the temperature and the different rubber compounds being put down from the many different series running this weekend. A disappointing result for what I consider to be one of his best driving performances."
Pulling double duty with one race down and one to go, Tucker's next focus would be driving the Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 in the IMSA Challenge Porsche GT3 SuperCup.
"Getting back into the Porsche for the IMSA Challenge Porsche GT3 SuperCup presented a new focus for me after the challenges during the Montreal Ferrari F430 Challenge. Although my main focus was on the Level Five Boardwalk Ferrari F430 Challenge car, the IMSA Challenge race allowed me to get some additional track time."
Team Manager David Stone is all but too familiar with the lessons that can be learned during a race season. "Every race, every season is going to present itself with ups and downs. It is our responsibility as a team to take those lessons, know that this is a work in progress, and only train harder and smarter for the next event."
Overall, Tucker drove well in the LevelFive Motorsports Kelly-Moss prepared Porsche 911 GT3. He was running in third and working to move up to second position until another competitor caused him to spin out. But only heads up driving kept him from crashing and eventually resulted in a fifth place finish.
Video of Scott's pass for third place can be seen at:
http://www.l5racingclips.com/2008/Montreal/scottPass/ScottPass.wmv
Next up for the LevelFive Motorsports Boardwalk Ferrari F430 Challenge car will be at Circuit Mont Tremblant in Mont Tremblant, Quebec on July 18.
ABOUT levelfive MOTORSPORTS
Level Five Motorsports is a leader in the racing industry. The team participates in the Ferrari Challenge Series and Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 GT division. To be a part of history and get additional information on the team, visit www.L5racing.com
ABOUT THE FERRARI CHALLENGE SERIES
The F430 Challenge Series was created to allow Ferrari racing drivers a chance to compete in a structured competitive environment, racing against other Ferraris on the most challenging race tracks in North America. For additional information, visit www.ferrarichallenge.com
ABOUT THE IMSA CHALLENGE
The IMSA Challenge by Michelin is entering its fourth season of competition. Sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association and in conjunction with Porsche Motorsport North America, the series gives top gentlemen drivers from North America the opportunity to compete with such prestigious organizations as the American Le Mans Series in the world's most successful GT3 car-the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer. For additional information, visit www.imsachallenge.com
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