Luis Diaz, No. 055 Level 5 Motorsports Lola HPD. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

Level 5 Motorsports, Lola HPD

No. 33: Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut, Joao Barbosa
No. 055: Scott Tucker, Luis Diaz, Ryan Hunter-Reay

Fitting its name, Level 5 has advanced a level in 2011, from the LMP Challenge class into the revived LMP2 class. In what promises to be an incredibly active year, team owner Scott Tucker has outlined plans to run two cars full-time in the American Le Mans Series and at least one full-time in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Tucker’s team won the inaugural LMPC class championship in 2010, with Tucker winning the driver’s championship. Tucker won five races in 2010, including last year’s 12 Hours of Sebring co-driving with Christophe Bouchut and Mark Wilkins.

The result of those plans is a pair of Lola chassis armed with HPD powerplants. One car will be a closed-top prototype with the other an open-top car. Tucker will race in both entries with his same co-driver as 2010, Bouchut. In the second, the team adds Mexican star pilot Luis Diaz for the full season. Joao Barbosa and Ryan Hunter-Reay are as solid of third drivers as can be assembled, and might be fighting among themselves for the class win at Sebring.

This is part of a series of previews on Michelin technical partner teams in this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring.