Tucker, Bouchut set for historic start in 24 Hours of Le Mans

Wet conditions and a questionable forecast for the 24 Hours of Le Mans have not dampened the moods of Level 5 Motorsports drivers Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut. The drivers, in France with Audi and Team Kolles for the 78th running of the historic sports car race, will start 12th in a world-class field of 55 entries after a strong effort in qualifying. Bouchut posted a time of of 3:30.907 over the 8.48-mile street circuit in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, in the legendary Audi R-10.

"I am happy with the result in qualifying and we could work on the race setup," said team owner Dr. Colin Kolles. "The drivers and every member of our crew did a great job. In the end, everything worked well and now we are looking forward to a successful race on Saturday and Sunday."

Bouchut's time was not only enough to earn a favorable starting position for the No. 14 entry he shares with Tucker and Manuel Rodrigues, but it also helped in a friendly rivalry that developed with the other Team Kolles Audi R-10 driven by Formula One star Christijan Albers, Christian Bakkerud and Oliver Jarvis. Albers' time of 3:31.661 in the No. 15 was enough to put them just one spot behind their teammates on the starting grid, but still second among the stable-mates.

"Sure there is a bit of a friendly rivalry in the paddock between our two R-10s," said Tucker, the only American to ever race the Audi R-10. "But Audi and the whole Team Kolles organization are working very well together -- as demonstrated by our strong qualifying effort. But it's a long race and we know we've got to maintain our focus on posting a positive result on Sunday."

The factory Audi-backed effort for Team Kolles continues an unprecedented tradition for the famed Audi R-10 race car. With a remarkable four wins at Le Mans, the car is a proven endurance-racing powerhouse. Even in a field comprised of 55 of the world's best sports cars, that track-record still stands out.

"The Audi is a great, proven race car," said Bouchut, 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans winner. "We know we have a chance to be on the podium Sunday with this car."

Peugeot entered this week's activities as a favorite and have put up very strong times in practice and qualifying. The lead Peugeot 908 HDi entry was driven to the pole position by four-time Champ Car Champion -- and Scott Tucker's Rolex 24 At Daytona co-driver -- Sebastien Bourdais. His blistering lap of 3:19.711 gave Peugeot their fourth consecutive Le Mans pole.

Tucker is one of just two American's running in the LMP1 class, the premier class in the race. The other is Marco Andretti, Indy Car standout and grandson of legendary driver Mario Andretti. In his first time participating in the world's most prestigious sports car race, Tucker is learning a new car and one of the most challenging circuits in any form of racing.

"The Audi is similar to the LMPC car we run in the American Le Mans Series," Tucker said. "But there are enough differences that it takes some getting used to. With this tough street course, the weather and racing at night, there is a lot for a driver to deal with in this race."

Several hundred thousand fans pack the streets for all of the racing action, as well as a parade that travels through the city of Le Mans. Despite a forecast for rain, the crowds continue to show their support of this historic event.

The green flag for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled to drop 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.