Level 5 Motorsports, one of the world\’s most prolific racing organizations, is in the midst of rounding out the 2011 racing schedule, with just three short-but very important-races left to tackle. The SCCA Runoffs, the ALMS Petit Le Mans and the 6 Hours of Zhuhai in China are sure to be high-profile, intense competition races. But one thing they\’re not: an entire day long.

The mother of all endurance races is the 24-hour enduro. With two on the 2011 books for Level 5 Motorsports, owned by Scott Tucker, the team had to be prepared for a grueling day-and night-of racing. The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup series offered the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, in June, and the Grand-Am Rolex sets up the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, which was Level 5\’s first race of the 2011 year, in January.

Having made podium at both super-endurance races, the Level 5 drivers (that also include Luis Diaz and Christophe Bouchut) have clearly perfected a few of the unique challenges a day-long competition presents. Probably the most obvious: driving at nighttime. After concentrating on a well-lit road all day long, drivers in many cases are challenged to maintain an aggressive speed when it gets dark, especially on tracks that aren\’t well-lit. On the Daytona International Speedway, many of the track is lit by floodlights, so drivers adjust easier. But in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the course occasionally passes through secluded highways in France.

\”It takes a little while to get adjusted,\” Tucker said. \”But the track is still there; you just have to get used to it.\” When making the transition from day to night, teams make sure to check that the headlights are working perfectly, and the rest is up to the driver. \”You sort of become one with the road,\” Tucker says. \”It\’s the same way a blind person\’s other senses are heightened; your other senses eventually take over, and soon enough you\’re matching the lap times from earlier in the day.\”

A lot of the most recent Le Mans Prototype models on a regular basis approach 200mph in race situations, which is amplified when driven through the night. \”There\’s nothing like driving at night,\” Tucker says.

Tucker and the Level 5 team secured an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans when they won their LMP class in 2010 at the ALMS Petit Le Mans. Taking the wheels of LMP2 cars for the 2011 season, the team will again look for their invite to 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2012-hopefully, with an LMP1 class designation. This weekend, the team competes in the SCCA Runoffs, but the race they\’ve really concentrated on all season has been Petit Le Mans. They recently added a brand new car to their Microsoft Office-sponsored entries, a cost-capped Honda chassis with modified fuel injector and other specifications that ultimately enable the car to perform with increased power at a lighter weight.

At this point, the automobile has proven hard to beat; it\’s first appearance at Monterey was exquisite, and the weeks prior to Petit Le Mans are just more opportunities for the drivers to acquaint themselves with the new set of wheels. With an LMP2 win at the top of their to-do list, next time Level 5 Motorsports makes the transition from night to day could possibly be in an LMP1 class at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.