Denver Turns Dismal for the Rum Bum Race Team

© Matt Polito

Gann finally gets on his bike.

In the race world, things often don't go as planned. And sometimes, things go so off-kilter you find yourself scrambling for the "Reset" button. Case in point: last weekend at Denver, CO's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. Rum Bum raced at the 50-year-old Bandimere Speedway nestled at 10,00 ft on the outskirts the Rockies. The track's slogan is "Experience Thunder Mountain." They did. And it wasn't pretty.

First of all, a violent stomach virus that recently hit his kids and wife left Rum Bum Racer, Shawn Gann, clutching porcelain the entire race weekend. Then the barometric pressure gauge on his Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle, which corrects the quality of airflow in the bike and promotes optimal performance, decided to snafu.  Plus, tornado warnings and local storms meant an especially meager Denver crowd Friday and Saturday.

Then on Sunday - just in time for the big elimination rounds - when the sun finally emerged, when the crowd finally showed up in droves, and when Gann finally mustered enough energy to hit the track and impress a full house in the stands... his bike blew a huge flame like a Zippo lighter on steroids. 

"I wish we had the weekend to do over," said Blake Gann, the Rum Bum Crew Chief and father of the recovering racer. "You ever see that movie Groundhog Day? I'd just like to wake up, have the clock go off, and it be Thursday again."

Lucky for his son, bike and racer are OK - with the exception of a chapped wire and still-bugged belly, respectively. Even after the race weekend, the typically chipper and veritable Energizer Bunny of a Rum Bum Racer barely had enough strength to pick up the phone, say he felt "like crap" and put the phone down again.  And the timing couldn't be worse considering Denver was the first stop on the most grueling portion of the NHRA Full Throttle Race Series: the West Coast Swing.

On a high note, Gann did place 5^th in his first qualifying round on Friday with a run of 7.48 - nailing the drag on the hottest day and with the worst air quality of the weekend, to boot. Plus, Rum Bum teammate, Bailey Whitaker even landed in the first round of eliminations as he continually improves his performance times and form. 

The next move for the Rum Bum Race Team is to head to California for their next race, and a fresh start, in Sonoma beginning July 24^th. "In Sonoma we just have to wipe the slate clean, get an open mind, and be present for it," said Crew Chief Gann. And if a dismal weekend like this one ever happens again, he'll hope to find himself in Punxsutawney and curiously resembling Bill Murray.