Tucker Wins at Miller Motorsports Park

TOOELE, Utah - Scott Tucker and the Boardwalk Ferrari Level 5 Motorsports team closed out another successful weekend Sunday with back-to-back podiums and a win in race two of the Ferrari Challenge at Miller Motorsports Park.

Tucker, the most successful driver in Ferrari Challenge Series history, backed up a second-place finish yesterday and leaves Utah having earned more points than any other driver during the weekend. With two of this year's six events in the record books, he is well-positioned for a run at the series championship.

"We came here with victories in mind," Tucker said. "Our qualifying times were a little off during the weekend, but I think we made up for it during the races. Getting the win and earning points is vital as we look toward the championship.

"We had a great run on Saturday and fell short because of a tire problem. Today, we fought hard to make our way toward the front. It was a great effort by the Boardwalk Ferrari Level 5 Motorsports team, and they gave me a great car both days."

Strong winds reaching 60 mph proved to be a tremendous factor, making Sunday's race at the 2.24-mile road coarse completely different from Saturday's. Crews and drivers worked to adjust the set-ups on the cars during practice. Sunday morning's session saw Tucker turn in the fastest lap time. He went on to qualify his No. 55 Ferrari F430 in the fourth position with a fast lap of 1:36.452 (83.606 mph).

"The winds and the weather made it an unbelievable challenge for all of the drivers," said Boardwalk Ferrari Level 5 Motorsports Team Manager David Stone. "Scott did a fantastic job fighting through it all and showed how good of a driver he is passing cars on the track. In all, it was a great weekend."

At the beginning of the race, Enzo Potolicchio checked up, causing a collision with Tucker. Potolicchio received a penalty for moving out of his driving line, but the bigger story was the damage inflicted on Tucker's machine. One of the cars radiators was destroyed and the aerodynamics were greatly impacted by the contact.

"Immediately, the car had blinking alarms all over the place," said Tucker. "I had to drive it like that the entire race."

Tucker then waged a fierce battle with Sun Ho Lee for several laps. Tucker wore Lee down and finally passed him for position with five laps remaining. The effort was nothing short of heroic on a course known for limited passing opportunities.

"I had to fight like a dog out there today," Tucker said. "Being down on power and fighting an aero problem really gave me a handful. I had to wage an immediate war with Francesco [Piovanetti], then after I finally got by him, I had to run down Sun Ho Lee. It was some serious work, but a lot of fun."

In addition to his duties driving this weekend in the No. 55 F430, Tucker continued to test for Ferrari and their new for Prototype 599XX. He was personally invited to be a factory test pilot by Ferrari's CEO, Amedeo Felisa, in January.

Tucker first tested the car in a private session and exhibition at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the first ever to be held on American soil, in March. This latest round of testing among a select group of international drivers is yet another step in a complex process for the legendary manufacturer. In February, at the Ricardo Tormo circuit outside of Valencia, Spain, the 599XX made its on-track debut with F1 driver Felipe Massa behind the wheel. Tucker's next assigment for Ferrari will be at the famed Nürburgring in Germany this July.

Tucker and the Boardwalk Ferrari Level 5 Motorsports team return to the track in the Ferrari Challenge on May 1-2 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

The Level 5 Motorsports team will look to follow up on its successful start to the season in the American LeMans Series when it participates in the Long Beach Grand Prix in Long Beach, California, next Saturday. The team is riding high after a history-making win last month in the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring.

ABOUT BOARDWALK

Boardwalk Ferrari, Located in Plano, Tex., is one of the nation's leading Ferrari and Maserati dealerships. The company has extensive involvement in motorsports including relationships in the American Le Mans Series and their extremely successful sponsorship of Level Five Motorsports Ferrari Challenge entry.

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