Rum Bum Racers Pick Up Speed on Route 66... And Look Good Doing It

© Mackenna McClure, rumbum.com

Shawn Gann takes Jupiter out for a spin.

After a month-long hiatus during which the Rum Bum Racing bikes received repairs and flashy new paint jobs, the team anticipated pairing the debut of the bikes’ new looks with equally dazzling qualifying times. But although the Pro Stock Motorcyclists looked killer on this past weekend at the United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, IL, they suffered a few setbacks on the track.

Shawn Gann, a rider regularly hitting or hovering within a few hundredths of his 6.95-sec. personal best, had to deal with a burned-out clutch during his first run. This earned him a 7.04 second racing time and placed him 10th of the twenty-one riders. After a quick clutch repair in the interim, Gann ran the same time of 7.04 seconds later in the afternoon. Since none of the racers improved during their second run (arguably due to suboptimal racing conditions, such as, Gann notes, a dip in barometric pressure), Gann’s consistency and speed earned him 2nd place in the 2nd round.

Gann’s Rum Bum Racing teammate, Bailey Whitaker, ran 7.12 seconds in the first qualifying round and 7.20 seconds later in the afternoon. Between runs, the Rum Bum Racing pit crew vigorously attended to Whitaker’s wheels after a gear apparently went bad; they swapped out the transmission, replaced the motor, and fine-tuned the bike before the second qualifying attempt. Whitaker, still a veritable Pro Stock Motorcycle racing novice, got another shot on Saturday to enter Sunday’s eliminations rounds – a feat he achieved for the first time at his last race in St. Louis.

Both days, Gann approached the starting line with “Jupiter,” his newly cosmic-colored bike, and a lustrous new racing suit. Off the track Gann typically sports low-key threads made by Lucky Brand, Banana Republic and or Express - a far cry from what he wore on the track this weekend, an original metallic orange suit with chrome-outlined flames. He tops it all off with a pair of the latest Oakley sporting shades - shades that were recently featured atop the nose of one Lance Armstrong.

Clad in his racing ensemble, Gann looks fast even when he's standing still.  “I look like fire,” he remarked, standing confidently and looking down at himself. And as for the crowd’s reaction to the new look, Gann said all the ladies in attendance - beer drinkers and teetotalers alike - vied for his attention with whoops and whistles. Talk about getting your kicks on Route 66!