Seven wins. Ten podiums. One driver in one powerful machine. Scott Tucker and his No. 55 Boardwalk Ferrari Supercar Life F430 are just four races away from putting the capstone on the most impressive record in the history of the Ferrari Challenge Series. Races 11 and 12, which take over New Jersey Motorsports Park the weekend of September 19, will be the team's last chance to do so in North America before the Series travels to Spain for the International Finals in November.
Just 30 points shy of taking the lead in the Series standings, Tucker has the North American championship in his sights. But several others are vying for that final position, as well. Since race one at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March, current points leader Ferrari of Houston's Mark McKenzie and Tucker have been locked in a battle, with the Boardwalk Ferrari Supercar Life team breathing down the Texan's neck since the moment he took over first. Meanwhile, third-place Zak Brown, who has had seven top-three finishes this year, is just 110 points behind Tucker and will look to close in on second at NJMP.
But the Series standings only tell part of the story. Coming out of the Series' third doubleheader weekend at California's Infineon Raceway, Tucker and his team had delivered two impressive performances that, due to setbacks on the track, were not counted. With the points Tucker earned that weekend with those second and third-place finishes, Boardwalk Ferrari Supercar Life actually stands on the winning side of a 300 points gap between it and runner-up McKenzie. Overcoming that week's challenges will make a good showing at next weekend's races even sweeter.
"This race is extremely important for our team," Tucker said. "We are thrilled to have posted the best record in this tough field. Anything can happen on race day and the championship is by no means decided, but we are in a strong position for the title. The other competitors in this Series give us a battle every time we race, but the race results speak for themselves. I can't thank my team enough for getting us here."
This year's race at New Jersey Motorsports Park isn't Tucker's first Series trek into the Garden State. In 2008, the No. 55 took the field by storm at the Park, winning race one and taking second in race two. Most recently, Tucker hit the New Jersey track while testing the No. 55 F430 machine in preparation for next weekend's race. "Overall, we had a successful session and were quite pleased with our times," he said. "The car gave a great performance. With only days until the next race, this team will continue to prepare ourselves so that we can perform to the best of our abilities."
New Jersey Motorsports Park boasts two world class road courses. The Ferrari Challenge drivers will take on the Southern Road Circuit of Thunderbolt Raceway, which features more than 2.25-miles of asphalt, 14 challenging turns and a one-half mile straightway that keeps drivers on the edge of their seats.
Planning every detail from strategy to setup, Team Manager David Stone has been working hard to prepare Tucker and his crew to take on the Park and make their final push in the North American Series. "From day one, our goal has been to claim first in the Series. We are just days away from achieving that goal. In the next week, this car is our focus. As far as Scott goes, he just needs to keep doing what he's been doing all season-winning."
Tucker and his F430 will look to establish their lead over the field during Saturday's qualifying session; race 11 will follow at 3:15 p.m. EST.
No comments:
Post a Comment