Level 5 Motorsports to Test at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series

Level 5 Motorsports confirmed plans to participate in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series test December 1 and 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in preparation for the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Owner / driver Scott Tucker will be joined by frequent co-drivers Christophe Bouchut and IZOD IndyCar Series driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, as well as sports car veteran Luis Diaz in testing the team's two BMW-powered Riley Daytona Prototypes.

A host of changes to the DP Class will greet the drivers as they prepare for the upcoming season, making this test session a vital part of the off-season work that has been underway. Most notable among the changes is the addition of paddleshifting technology to the cars to replace the traditional manual shifting mechanism.

"I am looking forward to having the paddleshifter in the Daytona Prototype," Tucker said. "Our team has a lot of experience winning with this technology in other cars, so transferring that knowledge to the DP should be pretty straightforward."

A new tire compound is also expected to affect how the cars perform in the extreme conditions of the 24-hour event and will also be thoroughly tested at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"From the outside, the cars won't appear very different," Team Manager David Stone said. "But, there are some pretty significant changes impacting our set-up and how the driver drives. We need to get some time on the new tire and see how it feels. Along with some changes to the suspension and differential, we've got plenty to work on during the test."

The team will have some familiar drivers from the 2010 Rolex 24 effort that saw Level 5 earn its first podium finish in the famed endurance racing classic. Tucker, Bouchut and Hunter-Reay were joined by Richard Westbrook and Lucas Luhr in the team's third-place finish in January. Tucker went on to earn two North American sports car series titles in 2010.

Diaz, a former Toyota Atlantic and Indy Lights driver, also has a North American sports car series title to his name. He drove for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2004-2006 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. This will be his first appearance in a Level 5 race car.

The test will be comprised of two very long days with multiple sessions for the Daytona Prototype and GT classes. This is the first test session with the 2011 rules changes. The teams will have another chance to put the cars through their paces January 7-9 at Daytona International Speedway. All of this testing leads up to the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona that will be run January 29-30.