The 3rd round in the American Le Mans Series had Level 5 Motorsports slated to appear at Lime Rock Park for the Northeast Grand Prix, but the team withdrew its two-car entry a month before the race took place. With owner-driver Scott Tucker's hectic schedule-racing in three series and what's more, dominating them-it wouldn't be out of the question to assume the withdraw was due to driver burnout; halfway throughout the year, couldn't the team use a break? Not quite; put simply, the Level 5 Motorsports team all but compulsively seeks opportunities to get on the podium. Less than a month earlier, Tucker and his teammates took the win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after its debut in the race and first year in the LMP2 class. With a record that better fits the question, "What races haven't you won?" at this point in the year, Tucker and his team were making podium finishes a habit.
The choice to pull out of the Northeast Grand Prix was, like Level 5's driving, calculated and strategic. It was not a total shock, considering the circumstances. The Level 5 entries, two Lola-Hondas, would have been the sole LMP2 cars in its class. At the time the decision was made, the team was far more concerned on preparing for the 6 hours of Imola, a race in Italy that would end just six days before the Lime Rock Park contest.
On top of the especially difficult back-to-back races, the team had lost one of its Lola B 11/80 Hondas the month before, in the Spa-Francorchamps race in Belgium. A high-speed crash forced the team to use its second Lola Honda coupe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which had been intended for use in the entire American Le Mans series. After all the switch-ups, the team was left with only one Lola Honda for use in the U.S. circuit.
Additionally, recent rules changes allowed a growth of the fuel restrictor in LMP2 vehicles, which allowed the cars improved speed, a adjustment that made Tucker choose to drive the Lola Honda Spyder for Le Mans, as its coupes were built to 2010 standards. At this stage, Tucker was short on cars and essentially needed to be three places at the same time; logistically, there just wasn't enough time to send the Spyder back to the U.S. and prepare it to race in time for Lime Rock. "We want to get as many points as we possibly can," Tucker said. The ILMC competition is stiffer, and placing at that race could mean better placement overall in the series based on points. Level 5 would also find more LMP2 competitors internationally.
With Level 5's withdrawal, the Lime Rock race didn't have LMP2 entries, though more were expected in time for the Petit Le Mans.
The Level 5 team would remain out from the country after discarding Lime Rock from its agenda, with the next showing at Bowmanville, Ontario's Mosports International Raceway.
The choice to pull out of the Northeast Grand Prix was, like Level 5's driving, calculated and strategic. It was not a total shock, considering the circumstances. The Level 5 entries, two Lola-Hondas, would have been the sole LMP2 cars in its class. At the time the decision was made, the team was far more concerned on preparing for the 6 hours of Imola, a race in Italy that would end just six days before the Lime Rock Park contest.
On top of the especially difficult back-to-back races, the team had lost one of its Lola B 11/80 Hondas the month before, in the Spa-Francorchamps race in Belgium. A high-speed crash forced the team to use its second Lola Honda coupe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which had been intended for use in the entire American Le Mans series. After all the switch-ups, the team was left with only one Lola Honda for use in the U.S. circuit.
Additionally, recent rules changes allowed a growth of the fuel restrictor in LMP2 vehicles, which allowed the cars improved speed, a adjustment that made Tucker choose to drive the Lola Honda Spyder for Le Mans, as its coupes were built to 2010 standards. At this stage, Tucker was short on cars and essentially needed to be three places at the same time; logistically, there just wasn't enough time to send the Spyder back to the U.S. and prepare it to race in time for Lime Rock. "We want to get as many points as we possibly can," Tucker said. The ILMC competition is stiffer, and placing at that race could mean better placement overall in the series based on points. Level 5 would also find more LMP2 competitors internationally.
With Level 5's withdrawal, the Lime Rock race didn't have LMP2 entries, though more were expected in time for the Petit Le Mans.
The Level 5 team would remain out from the country after discarding Lime Rock from its agenda, with the next showing at Bowmanville, Ontario's Mosports International Raceway.
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