Level 5 Motorsports Foregoes Qualifying, Sticks to Strategy for Rolex 24

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Noticeably absent from today's qualifying session for the Rolex 24 At Daytona was a podium finisher from last year's running of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series' most prestigious race. Sticking to the strategy they have been developing for several months, team owner / driver Scott Tucker and team manager David Stone elected to keep the two Level 5 Motorsports BMW Riley Daytona Prototypes on the sidelines for the qualifying session.


"We came here for one reason: to win the race," Tucker said. "It's a long, long race and we've said for years: 'It's not where you start, it's where you finish.' "


With only a few seconds separating the top qualifiers from the back of the 18-car Daytona Prototype field, the team will be able to keep the field in front of them while staying back -- out of trouble.


"We have great spotters and great drivers for this race," Stone said. "Being in the middle of the pack gives you the highest probability of getting caught up in trouble. Being in the back, we give ourselves some room, keep an eye out for problems and focus on being in position to win on Sunday afternoon."


Also factoring into the decision is the new tire the teams are running this year. With little experience on the tire, the teams are facing some unknowns with regard to tire wear during the grueling 24-hour race. Teams are limited to 30 sets of tires during the weekend. Parking the cars during qualifying allowed the teams to keep one set of tires fresh should they be needed during the race.


The green flag is scheduled to wave Saturday, January 29, at 3:30 p.m. It will be televised live on the SPEED Channel from 3-10 p.m. Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, including the checkered flag and Victory Lane celebration. In addition, SPEED will air two special live preview shows: Friday, January 28, at 10 p.m. and Saturday, January 29, at 2 p.m. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.