Tucker, Bouchut Prepare for Racing's Biggest Test

After months of preparation and a frantic practice and qualifying schedule this week, Level 5 Motorsports drivers Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut enjoyed a day of relative calm Friday in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. That will all change Saturday as they take to the track for the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Friday's activities were highlighted by the annual parade through the streets of Le Mans. Hundreds of thousands of fans lined the roadways as the international field of racing greats soaked up the atmosphere.

"What a fantastic experience," said Tucker. "This is what Le Mans is all about. No other event in the world has this mix of history, passionate fans and incredible racing."

When Tucker, Bouchut and Team Kolles co-driver Manuel Rodrigues take the green flag tomorrow in their No. 14 Audi R-10 racecar, they will begin one of the most arduous events in all of sport. The twice-around-the-clock marathon will cover the same amount of racetrack as 12 Formula One Grand Prix races. Last year's winners completed 382 laps over the 8.48-mile street circuit, which was 3,254 miles at an average speed of 216 135.4 mph.

"There is no question that this is a tough, tough, race," said Tucker. "It's test your conditioning, your mental toughness -- not to mention the toll it takes on the car!"

The car Tucker will be driving has proven that is more than capable of withstanding the stresses of endurance racing. With a remarkable 4 wins at Le Mans, the Audi R-10 has a firm place in the event's record books. Team Kolles has two R-10s competing in this year's race and, with Audi-factory support, the team has all of the elements needed for a successful run.

"We know we've got the right equipment, the right driver line-up and the right crew behind us to do something special here this weekend," said Tucker.

Joining the Team Kolles Audi R-10s will be 53 other highly-competitive racecars in the hands of 162 of the world's best drivers representing 24 nations. While it is no small feat just to earn a spot in this field, Tucker and Bouchut will have the advantage of a premium starting position. When they roll off 12th saturday, they will have "the best of the best" in their rear-view mirror including 13 Formula drivers, one IndyCar champion and one F1 World Champion.

The green flag for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled to wave at 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday, with the checkered flag scheduled to drop at 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday.  The SPEED Channel will televise the first four hours of the race live.  Broadcast coverage will continue from 6 p.m. ET until the race's finish with extended coverage throughout the weekend on SPEEDTV.com.