Tucker Wins In The New 458 At Infineon Raceway

The 2011 Ferrari Challenge Series season got off to an exciting start as Scott Tucker put on an impressive display at Infineon Raceway earning his first win of the year. The weekend, which marked the debut of the Ferrari 458 to series competition, had its share of drama along with incredible racing action.

After qualifying in the fifth starting position for Saturday’s race, Tucker quickly set about getting to the front of the field. Once there, he managed to extend his lead to more than three seconds to claim the win.

Following the race, driver Harry Cheung protested some incidental contact that occurred as Tucker was beginning his assault on the field. Though no real harm resulted from the incident and the race win was upheld, series officials required Tucker to start from the rear of the field for Sunday’s race.

With a large field of ultra-competitive cars, the penalty was significant as the 2.52-mile Infineon Raceway road course offers limited passing opportunities. Despite the handicap, Tucker passed 21 cars en route to a remarkable sixth-place finish.

“All in all, I have to say it was a good weekend,” Tucker said. “We were disappointed to have to start at the back on Sunday, but we leave with our first win of the season and the first win for the 458 — that is what we set out to do.”

In winning the season opener, Tucker continued his dominance in the Ferrari Challenge Series where he is the most successful driver in history. The field for the weekend was among the strongest the series has seen and featured many notable contenders. Tucker’s win was his fifth career victory at the scenic California facility.

After posting the commanding win, the team appeared to be the favorite heading into the second race. But the penalty all but eliminated any chance the team had to sweep the weekend. Despite it all, Tucker set out to see what he and the new 458 could accomplish.

“That’s grace under pressure,” said Level 5 Motorsports Team Manager David Stone. “It was a tough penalty that we were assessed. But, Scott really showed what he is made of as a driver to make up that many spots.”

Following the Ferrari Challenge Series races at Infineon, Tucker, a three time national champion driver, and the Level 5 team will return to competition in the prestigious Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. The second round is slated for Saturday, May 7, at Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. Level 5 Motorsports is the first American team to compete in the prototype class in more than 25 years.

“I really wanted to participate in the debut of the Ferrari 458 even though this is a very busy time for our organization,” said Tucker. “We’re heading to Spa for the next round of the ILMC this week and we’ve been working to make sure that program is in contention for the World Championship.”

Radio coverage of the 1000 KM of Spa-Francorchamps will be provided by Radio Le Mans throughout the event weekend.

PaddockTalk Perspective