12:56 AM
Scott Tucker has built his career on a deep passion for motorsports, a heavy dose of remarkable talent, a calculated driver roster and the help of some spending money from earlier in his life. Driver and owner of Level 5 Motorsports, Tucker began racing in 2006 at age 44, and most recently won his third consecutive Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs, an historical finish at a race he's entered since his first year of professional racing. Although Tucker has now established himself as an elite race car driver in one of the most prolific racing organizations in the world, his career began in a Ferrari.
Three years after Tucker began his professional racing career, he set a record for the most wins in the Ferrari Challenge Series, nabbing 10 victories in 2009. Tucker again made history last weekend when he won his third consecutive SCCA Runoffs -this time in a Porsche 966 Twin-Turbo-but just three years earlier, he and racing partner Ed Zabinski made history when they placed in the top three of the 2008 T1 Runoffs, a year before Tucker himself began his historical tear on the Runoffs circuit.
At the time, Tucker was a relative newcomer to the motorsports scene, and he joined Zabinski on the Ferrari Challenge circuit. Tucker has relied on more experienced racers who can gain driving points while still providing him the opportunity to gain experience on the track, and Zabinski did just that, winning first place at the 2008 Runoffs while Tucker finished third.
Zabinski began in a second-place starting position and quickly put pressure on the first place racer, Andrew Aquilante. Zabinski tailed Aquilante in his No. 77 Level 5 Motorsports Ferrari 360 Modena for the next 13 laps. Several times, his Ferrari pulled side-by-side with Aquilante's No. 36 Hosier/Phoenix Perf/Hawk Chevrolet Corvette.
As the two fought neck-and-neck until Lap 15, Aquilante happened upon a mistake that allowed Zabinski the chance to pass. A full-course yellow had come upon the track on the penultimate lap of the entire competition, and Aquilante hit the brakes hard. Zabinski headed the other way as Aquilante hit another car and wrecked. Zabinski clinched the first-place win, as Tucker pulled his No. 55 Level 5 Motorsports Ferrari 360 Modena into third place, just behind John Buttermore of Pontiac, Mich.-who, incidentally, Tucker would finally beat in 2009 for his three-win streak.
Zabinski's win at the 2008 Runoffs was the first top three win for Ferrari-that is, the first two top three wins for Ferrari, with Tucker's third-place finish. A year later, Tucker would begin an historic effort in the series. Tucker and Zabinski continued competing under the brand new Level 5 Motorsports team, finishing 28th in the Porsche GT3 class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona; 8th place at Iowa Speedway; and races at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec.
Just a year later, Tucker joined up with Christophe Bouchut and began a speedy journey to the top of motorsports competition. Although he's now entered in five series, including with brand new Le Mans Prototypes, the Ferrari Challenge series has always been on Tucker's schedule, remaining as the first races he was entered in. And, after this past weekend, the Ferrari Challenge series is one in which Tucker has made an inimitable mark.
Three years after Tucker began his professional racing career, he set a record for the most wins in the Ferrari Challenge Series, nabbing 10 victories in 2009. Tucker again made history last weekend when he won his third consecutive SCCA Runoffs -this time in a Porsche 966 Twin-Turbo-but just three years earlier, he and racing partner Ed Zabinski made history when they placed in the top three of the 2008 T1 Runoffs, a year before Tucker himself began his historical tear on the Runoffs circuit.
At the time, Tucker was a relative newcomer to the motorsports scene, and he joined Zabinski on the Ferrari Challenge circuit. Tucker has relied on more experienced racers who can gain driving points while still providing him the opportunity to gain experience on the track, and Zabinski did just that, winning first place at the 2008 Runoffs while Tucker finished third.
Zabinski began in a second-place starting position and quickly put pressure on the first place racer, Andrew Aquilante. Zabinski tailed Aquilante in his No. 77 Level 5 Motorsports Ferrari 360 Modena for the next 13 laps. Several times, his Ferrari pulled side-by-side with Aquilante's No. 36 Hosier/Phoenix Perf/Hawk Chevrolet Corvette.
As the two fought neck-and-neck until Lap 15, Aquilante happened upon a mistake that allowed Zabinski the chance to pass. A full-course yellow had come upon the track on the penultimate lap of the entire competition, and Aquilante hit the brakes hard. Zabinski headed the other way as Aquilante hit another car and wrecked. Zabinski clinched the first-place win, as Tucker pulled his No. 55 Level 5 Motorsports Ferrari 360 Modena into third place, just behind John Buttermore of Pontiac, Mich.-who, incidentally, Tucker would finally beat in 2009 for his three-win streak.
Zabinski's win at the 2008 Runoffs was the first top three win for Ferrari-that is, the first two top three wins for Ferrari, with Tucker's third-place finish. A year later, Tucker would begin an historic effort in the series. Tucker and Zabinski continued competing under the brand new Level 5 Motorsports team, finishing 28th in the Porsche GT3 class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona; 8th place at Iowa Speedway; and races at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec.
Just a year later, Tucker joined up with Christophe Bouchut and began a speedy journey to the top of motorsports competition. Although he's now entered in five series, including with brand new Le Mans Prototypes, the Ferrari Challenge series has always been on Tucker's schedule, remaining as the first races he was entered in. And, after this past weekend, the Ferrari Challenge series is one in which Tucker has made an inimitable mark.
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