ELKHART LAKE, Wis. Supercar Life Racing's Scott Tucker realized a lifelong dream Saturday, winning his first major racing championship when he drove the No. 55 Supercar Life Ferrari F430 Challenge car to victory in the T1 race in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Championship Runoffs at Road America. Ferrari claimed the Manufacturers championship once again under the Tuckers Level 5 Motorsports racing team.
The Kansas City native made history with Ferrari yet again recording a new track record, setting the fastest race lap, qualifying on pole, leading all but two laps and ultimately winning the race. The victory didn't come without excitement and a bit of controversy for Tucker, however. Immediately following the race, Second-place finisher Lance Knupp filed a complaint with race officials over the start, saying Tucker jumped the green flag. Videotape of the race cleared Tucker, and he, Ferrari and the Supercar Life Racing team were officially crowned the national champions.
"Lance filed an erroneous complaint about the start of the race," said Supercar Life Racing Team Coach Ed Zabinski. "Scott got a huge advantage on him as the field entered turn one. Lance and his crew aren't exactly gentlemen. This was a ploy he had planned from the beginning."
"Lance, in fact was the one who did not maintain speed. He checked up on his brakes trying to play games. Unfortunately for him, Scott is a smart racer and had none of it. After more than six hours, the officials denied the complaint and Scott was officially crowned national champion."
The national championship comes on the heels of Supercar Life Racing Zabinski's SCCA title in 2008, when he drove a 360 Challenge Ferrari. It was the first time Ferrari had won a national championship in sports car club racing.
Tucker, who finished third in that race, and Zabinski, were the first drivers ever to pilot Ferraris in the SCCA finals.
At the green flag, Tucker, starting from the pole after qualifying earlier in the week with a new track record and fastest lap of 2:21.546, got a huge jump on Nearbrook Motorsports' John Buttermore in the No. 52 Corvette C5, who started from the second position. Tucker looked to be in good shape, but Buttermore was charging hard.
On lap three, Buttermore took advantage of a slight opening and passed Tucker in Turn 13. Tucker tucked in behind the Corvette and patiently waited for his next opportunity. Eventually however, succumbing to lap after lap of consistent pressure from Tucker, who stayed right on Buttermore's bumper, the No. 52 faltered. Buttermore lost the lead to Tucker in Turn 5 and, after his car got loose under braking for Turn 8, Knupp's No. 37 Hoosier/CarboTech/Moton/IEC Dodge Viper passed him to take the runner-up spot.?
"John (Buttermore) was really strong in the Kink, and I was a asleep at the wheel a bit there," Tucker said of the early-race exchange for the lead. "I looked in my rear-view mirror coming into the braking zoned for Turn 12, and he was already past me. That's where he got me. A couple of laps later, I got him up in turn 6. I think his brakes were starting to fade and he got a bit wide in turn 5." It was Tucker's big break. The No. 55 led every lap for the rest of the race, at one point pulling ahead of Knupp's No. 37 machine by 60 car lengths.
Knupp had been driving hard, which caused his tires to degrade; this helped Tucker protect his lead.
At the checkered flag, Tucker and the No. 55 cruised to a 1.42-second victory over Knupp in the 13-lap, 52-mile event.
"Lance Knupp was driving strong and consistent, so it could have gone anyone's way at the end," Tucker said. "It was a great race for us. I knew if I made a mistake that Lance was going to be there. I was doing everything I could."
The Supercar Life Racing team, led by car chief Steve Smith, took a stock F430 Ferrari and adjusted the car to SCCA specs. That meant adding 500 pounds of weight as well as changing the car's carbon brakes to iron brakes and the tires from 18-inch slick tires to 17-inch, DOT racing tires.
"Steve (Smith) and the Supercar Life Racing crew gave us a great Ferrari this week, so a great deal of the credit goes to them," Tucker said. "They were very well prepared and a did a wonderful job for both qualifying and the race. It was a great team effort." Buttermore finished third, followed by Jim Lynch in the No. 98 Adventure Shooting Sport Dodge Viper SRT-10 and Johnny Miller in the No. 64 Hoosier/Zip Chevrolet Corvette.
Tucker and the Supercar Life Racing team will return to action in the No. 55 Supercar Life Racing BMW-Riley Daytona Prototype Saturday, October 10, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in season finale of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. Tucker is the points leader in the Ferrari Challenge Series and will attempt to wrap up yet another championship at the 2009 Ferrari World Finals November 12-15 at Valenciana Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Cheste, Spain.
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