Breaking News out of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship

"Jonathon Klein" (jonathon-klein)
02/26/2014 at 23:09 • Filed to: TUSC, Tudor, Racing, /Drive, Level 5, Ferrari

Some breaking news out of the world of Sports Car racing. Level 5 Motorsports, the two Ferrari 458 Italia's, that won the season/series opener of the newly created Tudor United SportsCar Championship have pulled out of the entire series. The team headed by David Stone made the decision to leave the series this Monday according to FoxSports.

The team had won the opener at Daytona outright but were handed a penalty for avoidable contact, which gave the victory to the #45 Flying Lizard Audi R8. However, the penalty was reversed after a few short hours giving the win back to Level 5. Stone cited various reasons why the team was pulling out of the new TUSC series, but stating that he felt that " we should not have been in the 2014 to begin with because of it being a development year for the series ," and " as was apparent, the time frame that was taking for them to provide rules, driver rankings, etc ". He also cited the apparent size of the grid as being too much for the race to properly run.

He stated that the series as a whole needs time to " sort itself out " and that Level 5 doesn't want to endure through the teething issues that this new series has to overcome. Given the massive rule changes this season, and the switch from AMLS to TUSC, the new grid of cars, new drivers from different disciplines, it's a wonder that the inaugural race of the new TUSC went off without more drama. Granted the massive crash between Memo Gidley and Matteo Malucelli was a very large hitch, the race went on without much drama after that. Both men are considered to make a full recovery.

And Memo's team, Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing has also pulled out of the rest of the season due to financial strain and concentrating on Memo's recovery. The team lost their primary vehicle in that crash with not much of the car being able to be salvaged. However, unlike Stone who has not elected to say when or even if the Level 5 Ferrari's will be back anytime soon, the Gainsco crew have stated that they are looking forward directly to 2015 to come back.

Now Leo Parente of the /Drive network had an open discussion on this new series right after the Daytona and told us that we should all hold our judgment's until we see more of the racing. But with a high profile team electing to pull out, indeed the Class leaders of GTD, will we possibly see more? Stone states that there needs to be more team accountability in respects to making decisions about the overall direction of the racing series, and until then, those directing it will put both driver and fan alike aside for what is more profitable. He, like I do, want to see a return more to the style of racing in AMLS or WEC. I felt that putting in the DP's and regulating the Prototype Classes heavily so that most of the teams left for WEC was a mistake. The fan's wanted to see those Prototype Classes, they were fascinating cars, and the racing was epic. I watched the first race and well it was rather boring in my opinion, and I find myself agreeing with Stone. I do think that TUSC can recover and rally the loyal fans and even interest new ones, but it's going to require much deliberation on what those organizers are actually shooting for. Are they trying too hard to appeal to the NASCAR crowd, or should they strictly focus on the old AMLS crowd.

Level 5 racing leaving the series is a huge step backwards for TUSC, and I am not sure how the future will play out or if other teams may leave the series. As of right now the only certainty is that there will be two less Ferrari's duking it out on the track and that is a sad day indeed.

Quotes from Foxsports.

Photocredit to Getty images, and Racing Nation

DISCUSSION (15)

Somethingwittyer likes noisy > Jonathon Klein
02/26/2014 at 23:15

I'm not really surprised. Dyson pretty much said from the beginning they weren't going to run this year, frankly the fact Level 5 ran one race is fine with me. Even thought they are a super legit team, GTD is still stacked so along with GTLM TUSC we will have consistently good racing in TUSC. Anyway I think Level 5 is waiting for the ACO/FIA to introduce the new P2 class or for IMSA to get their regulations straight. They will be back thought.

The Transporter > Jonathon Klein
02/26/2014 at 23:44

P1 had to go, but putting P2 and DP - two cars operating under very, very different rules - in the same class was bound to be trouble. And waiting until the 11th hour to announce "Yeah, we're just gonna run GT3 specs for DP, but with a different wing and tighter restrictors." shows that they were walking around with their thumbs up their asses for a year.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Jonathon Klein
02/27/2014 at 00:15

Huge step backwards?

hardly.....

I doubt this is the whole story... I will admit my claim is pure conjecture but I think Scott Tucker isn't in the best of standings criminally with the Feds and they may be closing down on him... He been in their crosshairs for eyars now for money laundering, payday loan scams and more

GTD is plenty strong with Stevenson, TMS, Risi, etc etc The series won't die because Level5 is gone.... Honestly, it's barely a glancing blow

JEM > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
02/27/2014 at 01:14

Thank You!

L5 has been buying drivers for years and skirting the edge of financial law for a decade.

klipless > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/03/2014 at 08:53

Yes, this.

I wonder how much Mr. Tucker finances the Level 5 team. If funds are drying up for him, then they might not be able to pay for their pro drivers. Better to try and save face by blaming it on the teething issues of the new series. If this was really the case, I'd expect at least one other team to back out as well. Let's just say I'm not holding my breath.

HellPhish89 > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/03/2014 at 20:25

the #97 Aston Martin left as well.

IMSA is messing with GTLM rules now after messing with P2 rules AFTER THEY SAID THEY WOULDNT.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > HellPhish89
03/03/2014 at 20:27

Have they announced anything on the GTLM rules changes?

996C2 > Jonathon Klein
03/04/2014 at 22:02

If it was any other team, yeah, I'd be disappointed. But THIS guy? (resisting urge to swear) No, not sad at all. I hope the honest workers in his team find new places however.

HellPhish89 > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/04/2014 at 23:30

yep... restrictor and weight changes

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > HellPhish89
03/05/2014 at 00:40

Any exact details?

The cars seemed pretty evenly matched except maybe the Z4 GTE down a little bit on power....

HellPhish89 > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/06/2014 at 02:02

at this point... it doesnt matter. IMSA has broken 2 promises: not to mess with the P2 cars and not to mess with the GTLM cars. there is a LOT of talk of people wanting the ACO to pull their blessing of the series and petite lemans

ncrdbl1 > HellPhish89
03/08/2014 at 15:57

MESSING WITH GTLM/P2 RULES?????? In what parallel universe???? The P2 are basically unchanged except for having to run Lemans bodywork all season. OMG the GTD and DP car had to make massive changes. The GTLM and P2 barely any IF ANY and you complain??????????

You do realize that NASCAR has NOTHING to do with the operation of the series. TOTAL control has been turned over to IMSA and EVERY change announced has been made by IMSA.

You really need to actually learn what is going on and quit repeating ALMS/ACO/10-10th talking points.

ncrdbl1 > HellPhish89
03/08/2014 at 15:59

WRONG weight changes were thrown out after fall testing. They are not running the 60 extra kilos and are running same weight as last season.

HellPhish89 > ncrdbl1
03/09/2014 at 16:06

ill believe the race engineers and people within the sport, thanks.

HellPhish89 > ncrdbl1
03/09/2014 at 16:08

according to the people i talk to within the sport, you are simply wrong about the rules packages.