Level 5 Motorsports boasts impressive driver lineup for Rolex 24
Series regulars Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut, coming off a tremendously successful 2009 campaign, will co-pilot both the No. 55 and No. 95 BMW Riley Daytona Prototypes during the prestigious annual twice-around-the-clock endurance event at the "World Center of Racing."
In 2009, Tucker scored a single-season record 10 victories in the Ferrari Challenge Series and won the Ferrari Challenge Dealership Championship for Boardwalk Ferrari. In 2009, Tucker also won the Sports Car Club of America National Championship in a Ferrari 430. Bouchut, one of the winningest endurance drivers in the world, is a past winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa. He has also won three Porsche Carrera Cup France championships, three FIA GT titles and a FFSA GT championship. He is the only triple FIA GT champion in history.
Tucker and Bouchut will be joined at Daytona in the No. 55 BMW Riley by Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais, recently with the Red Bull Formula One team and one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Champ Car World Series. Bourdais won an unprecedented four consecutive championships in the Champ Car World Series from 2004 to 2007. Bourdais is also a winner of the 24 Hours of Spa in 2002 and finished second over all in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 and 2009.
Co-driving the No. 55 is veteran sports car driver Sascha Maassen and Frenchman Emmanuel Collard. Maassen, a past champion in the American Le Mans Series, finished fourth in the 2002 and 2006 Rolex 24. He is also a past American LeMans LMP2 co-champion, an ALMS GT champion and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003 and 2004. Collard is a past winner of the 2005 Rolex 24 in a Daytona Prototype, the 24 Hours of Spa and the Porsche Supercup Driver's championship.
Joining Tucker and Bouchut in the No. 95 BMW Riley is IZOD IndyCar Series standout Ryan Hunter-Reay, who scored an IndyCar Series victory at Watkins Glen International. Hunter-Reay won the GRAND-AM Rolex Series season finale at Miller Motorsports Park in 2007 and finished eighth overall in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2008.
Also co-piloting the No. 95 is Audi Factory driver German Lucas Luhr, who won the pole position for the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Luhr also won the GT class in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and an American LeMans LMP2 and GT championship.
Another addition to the Level 5 lineup for the No. 95 BMW Riley is Englishman Richard Westbrook, the 2006 and 2007 Porsche Supercup champion. In 2009, Westbrook won the FIA GT championship. He is also a past champion in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB class and the Porsche Supercup.
"We've assembled a tremendous amount of talent and experience for the Rolex 24," said Tucker, team owner of Level 5 Motorsports. "We've got drivers that know what this event is all about and have the experience to manage a good result. We're really looking forward to a great season opener."
Crown Royal and its Crown Royal Cask No. 16 brand will be featured as the primary sponsor on both the No. 55 and No. 95 BMW Rileys during the weekend. Crown Royal executives are pleased to hook their brand to the rising star of the Level 5 Motorsports team. The No. 55 Level 5 BMW Riley, with Tucker and Bouchut behind the wheel, is the only car in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series to have finished in the top 10 in every race (nine) it entered in 2009. "The Rolex 24 At Daytona is an iconic endurance event in the sport of motor racing and Crown Royal is proud to partner with such an organization as Level 5 Motorsports," said Rob Mason, Senior Brand Manager, Crown Royal.
New Performance Nutrition joins the Level 5 sponsor lineup as well this season.
"NPN is very proud to support the Level 5 Motorsports effort in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series," said owner Matt Mahowald. "We're thrilled to help fuel the drivers during this grueling endurance race and are hoping for a trip to victory lane at such a historical place like Daytona International Speedway."
Back with Level 5 Motorsports for the 2010 season is US Bank and SupercarLife, the Las Vegas-based driving experience. Additional partners include record label Bulldog Productions, SellingSource, Boardwalk Ferrari and Kennol Performance Oil. supercarliferacing.com