Scott Tucker and Level 5 Motorsports will return to familiar racing territory this weekend. Fresh off yet another championship in the American Le Mans Series, Tucker is primed to once again take on a world-class field of drivers at the Ferrari Challenge International Finals, where he has won three times over the past two seasons.
He will also get back behind the wheel of the Ferrari 430, a car that helped make him the most successful driver in Ferrari Challenge Series history. The Ferrari Finali Mondiali is set for Thursday through Sunday at Mugello Circuit in Mugello, Italy.
Tucker won eight races during the regular Ferrari Challenge Series season in 2009, and then a pair of races at the International Finals in Valencia, Spain, that year. He returned to Valencia in 2010 and won one race and placed second in another after a stunning comeback.
“The Ferrari Challenge Finals have been pretty good to us the past couple of years,” Tucker said. “We were able to run up front and win some races on a tough race circuit in Spain against some of the world’s best drivers, and we’re very proud of those accomplishments.
“Now, we’re headed to Italy to another tough course. It’s going to be another tremendous challenge for us. But, I have all the confidence in the world in our Level 5 Motorsports team to bring home a checkered flag or two.”
Mugello Circuit, officially the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, is a 3.529-mile road course near Florence. The track, built in 1974, is comprised of 15 turns and a long straightaway.
Turns 14 and 15 combine in a challenging hairpin that leads into the straightaway, which is 1,141 meters in length. The width of the track varies between 9, 6 and 14 meters. The David Stone-led team has been in Italy getting the car prepared for what promises to be a true test.
“Just by looking at the layout, you can tell that this is a very challenging road course,” Stone said. “Scott has a lot of experience with the F430 and we have a good feel for how to get the car set up for him. We are really looking forward to these races.”
Tucker has competed in four Ferrari Challenge Series races this season, all in the new Ferrari 458. He won the series opener at Infineon Raceway in California in April and finished sixth in the second race that weekend.
In May at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Tucker finished second to Enzo Potolicchio in Race 1 and fifth in Race 2. With his busy worldwide racing schedule, he has not participated in the Ferrari Challenge Series since.
Qualifying for race No. 1 for the North American division is set for 3:30 p.m. local time Thursday. The green flag is scheduled to wave for race No. 1 on Friday at 3 p.m. local time.
Qualifying for race No. 2 for the North American division is set for 9:30 a.m. local time Friday. The green flag is scheduled to wave for race No. 2 at 2:40 p.m. local time Saturday.
