Level 5 Motorsports Qualifies Strong in Historic 12 Hours of Sebring

SEBRING, Fla. - The green flag waves Saturday for the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring, marking the first race for the new Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) in the American Le Mans Series. The two-car Level 5 Motorsports team wasted no time showing what their Microsoft Office 2010 Oreca LMP entries are made of, setting the two fastest times in the opening practice session Thursday.

The team backed up that performance by qualifying second and third, respectively, in class. Ryan Hunter-Reay qualified the No. 95 Oreca FLM09 with a fast lap of 1:55.397. In a thrilling qualifying session, he finished his final lap with the low time, only to be nipped for the top spot in class in the closing seconds by Gunnar Jeannette, who posted a time of 1:55.279.

Christophe Bouchut set the qualifying time for the No. 55 with a lap of 1:56.101, giving the Level 5 team premium starting positions in a world-class field of entries.

"The cars have really been fast since we unloaded them off the truck," Hunter-Reay said. "Starting up near the front helps. But we know this is a long race. We know the crew has done a great job preparing these cars. Now, we're ready to do our job and get this Level 5 team a victory."

The Level 5 team debuts two new Microsoft Office 2010-sponsored entries in this weekend's elite American Le Mans Series race - one of the world's biggest endurance racing events. Both cars will be piloted by one of the most successful driver lineups in history. Owner/driver Scott Tucker will pull rare double-duty in both cars, a historic first for the LMPC class.

Joining him will be Bouchut, one of the most respected endurance drivers in the world. Bouchut has notched victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 24 Hours of Spa. In addition to claiming three Porsche Carrera Cup France championships, three FIA GT titles and a FFSA GT championship, he is the only triple FIA GT champion in history. He is also the only driver in this class who has won the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, making him the most accomplished driver in the field.

Also in the No. 55 Oreca FLM09 this weekend is Toronto-native Mark Wilkins, who has experience in various racing series. In 2004, he claimed his first podium (third) in the Rolex 24 at Daytona (SGS Class), and repeated the feat a year later, taking third in the GT class. This will be his first crack at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Hunter-Reay, an IZOD IndyCar Series standout, will share driving duties in the No. 95 LMP. He is coming off a fantastic run in the IndyCar Series season-opener, the Sao Paulo Indy 300 in Brazil, where he finished second in his Andretti Autosport entry.

Along with Hunter-Reay and Tucker in the No. 95 entry will be James Gue, who makes his Level 5 Motorsports debut. He is also running in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT class with Dempsey Racing.

"Level 5 Motorsports has brought an outstanding lineup of drivers to this prestigious event. We've come here with every intention of scoring a podium finish, if not a victory," Tucker said. "The Level 5 crew has done a tremendous job of preparing these Le Mans Prototypes. We've got everything we need to make this weekend a big success."

The American Le Mans Series opens its 12th season with America's greatest sports car race, the 58th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, this weekend. The green flag waves at 10:35 a.m. ET, Saturday, March 20, with live coverage on SPEED.

Visit the American Le Mans Series' schedule page (www.americanlemans.com) for ticket and accommodation information.

About Microsoft Office 2010

The Microsoft® Office system provides tools to help people quickly and easily create great-looking documents, spreadsheets and presentations, organize and search for information in one place, and keep everything in one place, all with enhanced security. www.office.microsoft.com

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. www.microsoft.com