Madison, WI -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2012 -- Race car driver Scott Tucker recently helped Honda Performance Development (HPD) record their first ever double victory in the American Le Mans Series. HPD cars won both the P1 and P2 categories at the 2012 ALMS Long Beach Grand Prix. Muscle Milk Pickett's Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr secured the overall race victory and in the process also won the P1 category in their #6 HPD ARX-03a car. In the P2 class Level 5 Motorsports' Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut sealed victory in their #055 HPD ARX-03b coming 10th overall.
Lucas Luhr made steady progress lapping the back markers and then made the most of the yellow caution flag at the half way stage of the 2 hour race before Klaus Graf took over driving duties. A refueling pit stop briefly gave Dyson Racing's #16 Lola driven by Chris Dyson the overall lead but Graf never let never Dyson get out of sight and eventually passed Dyson to take the lead with around 30 minutes of the race remaining. Graf went on to complete victory by an impressive 43 second margin.
The overall victory was the second successive win for the Muscle Milk Pickett team at Long Beach. In the P2 category Level 5 Motorsports continued where they left off from the first race of the season at Sebring by securing victory in the P2 class. Scott Tucker began in the driver's seat and spun after being hit from behind by the #52 Oreca FLM09 driven by Rudy Junco early in the race. The spin meant that Conquest Endurance's #37 car held the lead in the P2 category for a while but some great driving by Tucker and then co-driver Christophe Bocuhut got the Level 5 car back in the lead in the P2 class.
After a refueling pit stop Bouchut took over the driving duties from Tucker they chased down Conquest's Martin Plowman and took the P2 category lead when Plowman was forced to make a pit stop to refuel with just 10 minutes remaining in the race. Bouchut went on the secure Honda's double victory by securing the P2 category win.
In a statement released on Honda.com after the race, a delighted Steve Eriksen, Vice President of Honda Performance Development said "Congratulations to Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and Level 5 Motorsports on their great victory today. The Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of Honda's 'home' races and there were hundreds of Honda associates here to witness the excellent performance of our sports car teams." The third round of the 2012 American Le Mans Series head to the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 13, and Honda will be looking to maintain their great start to the season.
About Level 5 Motorsports
Level 5 Motorsports has fielded successful entries in GT and Prototype classes in the American Le Mans Series, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Ferrari Challenge Series, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites, IMSA GT3 Cup and the Sports Car Club of America since 2008. The team has competed throughout North America and Europe, extensively in France and Spain. Team owner and driver Scott Tucker has earned five national championships and has more than 100 podium finishes and 75 victories in his driving career. Level 5 is based in Madison, Wisconsin.
http://www.level5motorsports.com