The Thrilling Road to Road Atlanta for Level 5 Motorsports

No one knew what to expect from the inaugural season of the American Le Mans Series Le Mans Prototype Challenge. While the Oreca FLM09 was a known entity -- being the car of choice for the Formula Le Mans Series in Europe -- exactly how the racing would translate to the North American series was unknown. But, the opening event of the 2010 American Le Mans Series set the tone for what has been a remarkable season of racing that has surpassed expectations.

Under sunny South Florida skies, the field of cars set out to qualify for the famed 12 Hours of Sebring, at Sebring International Raceway, to begin this historic season of racing. IndyCar standout Ryan Hunter-Reay was behind the wheel for Microsoft Office 2010 Level 5 Motorsports and was putting up extremely fast lap times. For Green Earth Team Gunnar, driver Gunnar Jeanette was also posting fast laps, exchanging the lead for the pole position with Hunter-Reay throughout the qualifying session. In the final seconds, Jeanette nipped the No. 95 Level 5 entry by a mere .118 seconds. Hunter-Reay was followed by the second Level 5 car, the No. 55, with veteran Christophe Bouchut earning the third qualifying spot, setting up the team for its eventual victory in the prestigious event.

From that qualifying session of the season-opener to the season finale at Road Atlanta, the American Le Mans LMPC championship race has been a nail-biter. That is not expected to change when the checkered flag waves October 2 for the Petit Le Mans.

Level 5 Motorsports owner/driver Scott Tucker has piloted both the No. 55 and 95 Microsoft Office ORECA FLM 09s this season and looks to claim the inaugural LMPC championship. Tucker and Jeannette sit atop the ALMS LMPC standings with 153 points each, after a season-long battle in which Tucker has held the lead since Sebring, where he and the team claimed the first of their four wins.

"It can't get any more exciting than this," said Tucker, who has scored LMPC victories this season at Sebring, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Miller Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. "Frankly, it is a little more exciting than we would like it to be. However, our main goal at this point was to be right there racing for a championship, and that's exactly what we're doing. The season simply comes down to Road Atlanta and a very tough race."

Indeed. The championship is on the line in the grueling 10-hour Petit Le Mans. Whoever finishes ahead, Tucker or Jeannette, will be crowned the 2010 LMPC champion.

After a second-place finish in the following race at Long Beach, Tucker and Bouchut maintained the points lead with a record-setting triumph in the six-hour event at Laguna Seca. Bouchut took the checkered flag seven seconds ahead of Genoa Racing's Tom Sutherland, and turned a track record-setting lap of 1:19.343 during the race.

Tucker and Bouchut once again dominated the competition at Miller Motorsports Park, winning the race by more than a lap over Jeannette and Elton Julian.

The next three races -- at Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America in Wisconsin -- saw Jeannette narrow the gap in the standings. With a victory at Mosport Speedway in Canada, he forged a tie with Tucker for the top spot. Jeannette, a factory driver who is 21-years Tucker's junior, benefited from Tucker's bad luck and uncharacteristic engine troubles in the later part of the season.

The Petit Le Mans is the third endurance race on the 2010 ALMS schedule. Endurance events have proven to be Level 5 Motorsports' forté, which bodes well for the team at Road Atlanta. Rules require a team to finish at least 70 percent of the race -- or seven hours -- before it is awarded any points.

The largest field for a race in ALMS in more than seven years -- 45 cars -- is expected at Road Atlanta. Only once has the Petit Le Mans featured more entries.

Qualifying for the LMPC class for the Petit Le Mans is scheduled for 3:50 p.m. Friday, October 1. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 11:15 a.m., Saturday, October 2.

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

About Level 5 Motorsports

Level 5 Motorsports has fielded successful entries in the American Le Mans Series, NASCAR Grand Am Series, Ferrari Challenge Series and the Sports Car Club of America since 2005. Owner and driver Scott Tucker has earned national championships and numerous podium finishes in his illustrious driving career.