LevelFive Motorsports signs Bouchut for Rolex 7 hours season final

It's that time of year again as the days count down to the season finale for the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, at the third annual SunRichGourmet.com 1000 held at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah on September 20th.

With the end of the current season, come previews for the next season. Today, LevelFive Motorsports announced the signing of driver, Christophe Bouchut, for the seven hour endurance season final. Bouchut, a French-born racer, joins LevelFive with a champion's background.

A triple FIA GT Champion, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Spa, Bouchut has developed an array of credentials above and beyond the track. And after Tucker won the Ferrari Challenge at New Jersey Motorsports Park on August 31, there's no doubt that the team will benefit from Bouchut's winning ways.

Throughout the season the eCommLink Crawford GT/Ferrari V-8 has performed admirably when all cylinders were clicking, and has effortlessly worked its way up the field with teammates Scott Tucker and Ed Zabinski behind the wheel.

"This year has definitely been a development year for our team and the car," co-driver Ed Zabinski stated. "We have seen our ups, and we have seen our downs. But that's how racing goes. We know the Christophe will bring a new dimension to the team and we're excited to have him on board."

Of course, with each and every race there is always an intended goal in mind. Ferrari Challenge and Grand-Am Rolex Series driver Scott Tucker shares his teammate's optimism.

"Momentum for us and this car has played a very big role this season. Each and every race however, our team has put out a tremendous amount of dedication to get the job done. We bring a great level of technical expertise on and off the track.

Now the goal is to end the season with a strong enough effort at Miller Motorsports Park and take some momentum with us for next year. I welcome Christophe in joining us for this weekend's race, Ed and I look forward to driving with him and of course, I can't thank our LevelFive team and their families enough for their time and commitment this season."

The Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is on track to start the weekend's race events with an official practice on Friday, September 19 starting at 10:20 a.m. PT (12:20 p.m ET). The race is scheduled to start at 11:08 a.m. PT (1:08 p.m ET) Saturday, September 20. The 1000 km race will be broadcast live on SPEED starting at 1 p.m. ET.

LevelFive Motorsports is a leader in the racing industry. The team participates in the Ferrari Challenge Series and Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 GT division. To be a part of history and get additional information on the team, visit www.L5racing.com.

The Grand American Road Racing Association was established in 1999 to return stability to major league sports car road racing in North America. As the organization begins its ninth season of competition in 2008, Grand-Am is universally regarded as one of the world's most competitive road racing organizations. For additional information, visit www.grand-am.com.

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- Callie Spear -  also photos