And They're Off!

© Juha Lievonen

Rum Bum Racing takes to the track for their first ever Continental Sports Car Challenge race.

*Update 4:27 p.m.* The Rum Bum Race Team WON the Fresh From Florida 200!!! After completing 66 laps around the track at Daytona, the team fought from behind to lead the pack to the finish. We will have a complete update and all the race details on RumBum.com tomorrow!

Original Post

It’s official. On Thursday, Gian Bacardi, the rising star of the Rum Bum Race Team, completed his first runs at the track as a professional racecar driver. He, plus his coach and co-driver, Matt Plumb, shared the helm as the navigated the course of the Fresh From Florida 200 – a grueling 200-mile course – in the esteemed GRAND AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

At the legendary Daytona Motor Speedway no less. And, in their newly wrapped funkadelic car.

Not only did the team earn a valuable starting position, they made quite an impression doing so. “The car has been so fast so far,” said Plumb. “We posted the fastest lap overall during the first practice, a time that no one has been able to beat, even in qualifying.”

The duo, in their #13 E92 BMW M3 completed the 200 laps with a time of 2:02:377 and at a blazing speed averaging 104.725. Recognizing the intense focus, skill, and training Bacardi executed to achieve at this level, Plumb commended the driver for a “great performance for his first ever professional qualifying.”

In the end, the Rumbum Race Team qualified 18th out of 38 driving teams. Consequently, they start today’s race – marking Bacardi’s first race as a pro driver – in the 18th position. Stay tuned for the results from Friday’s race, and the conculsion of the Fresh From Florida 200, at Daytona International Speedway.