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Top-Five Finish for Rum Bum Racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey, Calif. (2 May 2015) – Rum Bum Racing continued its positive start to the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship by taking a fourth place finish at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Drivers Hugh and Matt Plumb opened the season with a victory at Daytona and then a podium result of third at Sebring, and Saturday’s fourth place finish brought in a healthy haul of points toward the team’s 2015 championship run.

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Rum Bum Racing Fourth on Monterey Grand Prix Grid

Monterey, Calif. (1 May 2015) – Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing No. 13 Porsche will start from the second row of the grid at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Round 3 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge on Saturday following a 15-minute qualifying session Friday evening. Hugh Plumb took the Porsche to a fast lap of 1:36.064-seconds around the picturesque California road course.
The qualifying session was quite the competitive one with the top-11 cars all within one second of each other. The second through fourth place cars on the grid were separated by just two-thousandths of a second of one another.


Hugh Plumb will open the 2.5-hour IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race before turning the No. 13 Porsche over to his brother and co-driver Matt Plumb who will take the car to the finish. Having stood on the podium in the opening two races of the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, the duo looks to make it three-in-a-row once again on Saturday.
“It’s a good start for tomorrow,” said Hugh Plumb following the qualifying session. “Rum Bum always prepares a great car and Matt (Plumb) always does a great job setting the car up. Fourth is very respectable today. I like Laguna Seca. It’s a great atmosphere for sure and has a lot of corners with a whole lot going on. Everything is a little different. The temperatures are always changing and the track is always changing, so it’s a fun challenge.”
The Rum Bum racing Porsche machine rolled off the trailer well-prepared for the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit as the team set the fastest lap of the first practice session Friday morning and was fifth in the second practice of the day.
The 2.5-hour race is set to go green at 1:00 PM local time (4:00 PM ET) and will be streamed LIVE on imsa.com. Follow @RumBumRacing on Twitter for updates throughout the race!

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Rum Bum Racing Fourth on Monterey Grand Prix Grid

Monterey, Calif. (1 May 2015) – Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing No. 13 Porsche will start from the second row of the grid at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Round 3 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge on Saturday following a 15-minute qualifying session Friday evening. Hugh Plumb took the Porsche to a fast lap of 1:36.064-seconds around the picturesque California road course. The qualifying session was quite the competitive one with the top-11 cars all within one second of each other. The second through fourth place cars on the grid were separated by just two-thousandths of a second of one another.

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Rum Bum Racing Carrying Positive Momentum to Laguna Seca

Orlando, Fla. (28 April 2015) – Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing is looking to go three-for-three this weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Orlando, Florida-based team has opened the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship with two podium runs in the first two races which included a victory in the Daytona season-opener and a third place finish at Sebring.

Rum Bum Racing and its brother driving pairing – Matt and Hugh Plumb – sit just two points out of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship lead with 65 points and are hopeful that a good outing at Laguna Seca will leapfrog them to the top.

The team is pursuing its third championship title in its sixth season of competition. The organization took the top honor in 2012 & 2013 and a positive run at Laguna Seca would certainly help add to the championship tally.

Matt Plumb and former co-driver Nick Longhi, who now serves as Rum Bum Racing’s Technical Director, drove to a podium finish of third at Laguna Seca in 2011, but bad racing luck has plagued the team at the track ever since.

Hugh Plumb has scored multiple podiums at the scenic 2.238-mile northern California road course in his extensive racing career. That experience combined with Matt Plumb’s driving expertise and Joe Varde’s strategy atop the pit box has the team eyeing a return to the top.

“We haven’t had very good luck at Laguna in the past couple of years, but it’s such an amazing venue that we forget all the issues we’ve had there,” said Matt Plumb who also serves at Rum Bum Racing Team Manager. “For us, the toughest part of the track is getting the gearing for the hill. With the Porsche, we don’t have the torque some of the other cars do, so when we can’t make it up through the corners and can’t get it in the right gear we tend to be a little bit behind. But we’ve gotten better on all fronts – power and handling – so we should be fine. I find the Corkscrew (the track’s signature turn) a little surreal. When you’re in the race car, you don’t realize how extreme that elevation change really is. It isn’t until you get outside of the car and watch someone else go through it that you realize how crazy it is.”

Rum Bum Racing will participate in a promoter test day on Thursday followed by two official practice sessions and a 15-minute qualifying session on Friday. The 2.5-hour IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race will go green at 1:00 PM PST (4:00 PM ET) on Saturday with LIVE coverage at www.imsa.com.

FOX Sports 1 will televise the event on Sunday, May 17 at 9:00 AM ET.

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Rum Bum Racing Carrying Positive Momentum to Laguna Seca

Orlando, Fla. (28 April 2015) – Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing is looking to go three-for-three this weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Orlando, Florida-based team has opened the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship with two podium runs in the first two races which included a victory in the Daytona season-opener and a third place finish at Sebring.

Rum Bum Racing and its brother driving pairing – Matt and Hugh Plumb – sit just two points out of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship lead with 65 points and are hopeful that a good outing at Laguna Seca will leapfrog them to the top.

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Rum Bum Racing Scores Podium at Sebring International Raceway

Sebring, Fla. (20 March 2015) – Rum Bum Racing continued its championship momentum at Sebring International Raceway on Friday as Hugh Plumb and Matt Plumb combined to take third at the iconic Florida road course. The event marked Round 2 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and after claiming victory in the opening round at Daytona, Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing team remains well positioned in the 2015 championship standings.

It took a mix of strategy, teamwork, and hard driving to deliver the podium performance and there was a big crowd of supporters on hand as Jennifer Bacardi and her family celebrated with the team following the race.

Hugh Plumb opened the event after qualifying the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche fifth on the grid for the 2.5-hour race. It was a hot and balmy Florida afternoon which made for some brutal conditions behind the wheel of the racecar. But undeterred by the heat of the day, Hugh Plumb drove a strong first stint before handing the car over to his brother Matt Plumb with just under an hour remaining.

When Rum Bum Racing called Matt Plumb to pit lane for the team’s final pit stop under green flag conditions, he had made his way up to third in the running order. The squad made quick work of adding fuel and tires to the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche and Plumb returned to the fray 13th in line.

In traditional Matt Plumb fashion, he wheeled the Porsche all the way up to third in the final segment and developed a significant gap over fourth place. Despite pushing the Porsche to its limit, the 3.74-mile Sebring road course favors the V8 machines of the Stevenson Camaros who ran 1-2, and the No. 13 Porsche was unable to catch them with Matt Plumb taking third at the checkered flag.

“Congrats to Stevenson Motorsports – they are a professional team and they’ve got great drivers, there’s no reason they shouldn’t finish 1-2,” said Team Manager and driver Matt Plumb. “I would have liked to be a little bit closer to them in the end, but it’s alright, we’ll get them next time. The team was flawless and the car ran perfectly.”

“Once again we did everything we could do given what we have,” echoed Hugh Plumb. “The Rum Bum Racing guys (crew chief) Joe Varde, Matt (Plumb) and (Technical Director) Nick Longhi, once again just did an awesome job. We just didn’t have the overall pace that the Camaros did. I’m so happy for the team, a first (at Daytona) and a third, what more can I say? The Bacardi family makes this possible. My thanks goes out to them for making this happen, what a great opportunity for me.”

Next up, Rum Bum Racing will travel across the country to California for Round 3 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca which takes place May 2.

Rum Bum Racing fans can catch the Sebring International Raceway event on FOX Sports 1 at 9:00 AM ET on Sunday, April 5.

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Rum Bum Racing Scores Podium at Sebring International Raceway

Sebring, Fla. (20 March 2015) – Rum Bum Racing continued its championship momentum at Sebring International Raceway on Friday as Hugh Plumb and Matt Plumb combined to take third at the iconic Florida road course. The event marked Round 2 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and after claiming victory in the opening round at Daytona, Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing team remains well positioned in the 2015 championship standings.

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On a Winning Roll, Rum Bum Racing Returns to Sebring International Raceway

Orlando, Fla. (16 March 2015) – In Round 1, the Rum Bum Racing magic mix of talent and hard work generated another huge victory for the team at Daytona, and the squad is looking to repeat the feat this Friday.

When Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing travels to Sebring International Raceway for Round 2 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Championship, the team won’t have far to go. The Florida road course is as close to home as it gets for the championship team, located just 90 miles south of the Rum Bum Racing shop in Orlando.

Rum Bum Racing opened the season with a big victory at the team’s “other” home track, as Daytona International Speedway is just an hour’s drive north of the race shop. Drivers, and brothers, Matt Plumb and Hugh Plumb led 34 laps in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche to claim the Daytona victory and are targeting a repeat performance in the 2.5-hour Visual Studio 150 (FOX Sports 1 broadcast, April 5 9:00 AM ET).

 

The Florida team showed podium potential in its Sebring Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge debut last year, only to settle for a 10th place result following a trivial pit call that ended up having a huge affect on the result. Though Hugh Plumb will take his first competitive laps in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche around Sebring this year, he teamed with Matt Plumb as well as Jan Heylan and Madison Snow last year when Rum Bum Racing campaigned the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GTD class with a run to ninth place in the iconic race.

In the two months since the Daytona victory, Rum Bum Racing has been hard at work during the break and is well-prepared to take on one of the toughest tracks on the 2015 calendar. The 3.74-mile, 17-turn former airport road course is a very bumpy and physically demanding circuit which requires not only strong racecraft, but also strong car preparation.

“It was just incredible to open this year with a win and it was the perfect way to launch the season,” said Plumb. “But we saw in Daytona how this series has gotten even more competitive—which is something I didn’t think was possible. So we know after winning the first race that we’ll have targets on us and the Camaros and Mustangs will be strong. Racing in Florida, in front of the fans that you only find at Sebring, is a blast for us and we’d love to add to the Bacardi’s history of doing so well in the home state!”

Rum Bum Racing Crew Chief Joe Varde, who is well known in the IMSA paddock for his leadership atop the pit box, is a five-time IMSA Champion and has a long history at Sebring. He has several victories at the Sebring circuit which included the GTU class victory in the 1994 running of the 12 Hours of Sebring while driving a Porsche.

IMSA.com will carry a LIVE broadcast of the Sebring event beginning at 1:05 PM ET on Friday as well as timing and scoring throughout the weekend.

FOX Sports 1 will televise the race on Sunday, April 5 at 9:00 AM ET.

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On a Winning Roll, Rum Bum Racing Returns to Sebring International Raceway

Orlando, Fla. (16 March 2015) – In Round 1, the Rum Bum Racing magic mix of talent and hard work generated another huge victory for the team at Daytona, and the squad is looking to repeat the feat this Friday.

When Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing travels to Sebring International Raceway for Round 2 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Championship, the team won’t have far to go. The Florida road course is as close to home as it gets for the championship team, located just 90 miles south of the Rum Bum Racing shop in Orlando.

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Another Big Day for Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing at Daytona

Media Notes:
– Third win for Rum Bum Racing at Daytona, 16th overall IMSA win
– Matt Plumb ties Sylvain Tremblay for most wins in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series (20)

Daytona Beach, Fla. (23 January 2015) – It was a familiar sight for fans of Luis Bacardi’s hometown team at Daytona International Speedway, as brothers Matt and Hugh Plumb delivered Rum Bum Racing its third victory at the 3.56-mile road course. The result kicked off the 2015 IMSA Continental SportsCar Challenge in a big way for the championship winning organization who won back-to-back championships in 2012 & 2013.

The victory marked Rum Bum Racing’s 16th overall win as Matt Plumb firmly planted his name in the record books by tying Sylvain Tremblay for the most wins in IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition.

“Our boss Mr. Bacardi puts so much faith in us, so much trust in us, making this plan work,” said Matt Plumb, who also serves as Rum Bum Racing’s Team Manager. “We had a rough season last year, and he stuck with us. We’re just so glad we could win this for him.”


Hugh Plumb opened the 2.5-hour race at the iconic track from the front row after a strong qualifying run on Thursday. In an effort to err on the side of caution as the GS class field funneled down into Turn 1, the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche slipped to fourth in line.


While maintaining the focus of keeping the car out of trouble through the opening stint, Hugh Plumb carefully worked his way up to the top spot as he led the field for 20 laps before pitting under green to hand the car over to his brother Matt.Matt Plumb returned to the order with just over an hour and 20 minutes remaining in the race and ran fifth in line. It wasn’t long before he had maneuvered the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche back up into the second spot as he chased down the leader.Once the leader took to pit lane, Plumb took over the race lead until a full course caution was displayed with 58 minutes remaining. Crew Chief Joe Varde made the call to bring the car to pit lane under the yellow for fuel and right side tires.

When the race when back to green with 43 minutes to go, Matt Plumb restarted fourth and once again made his way forward as he ran second with half an hour remaining. He spent several laps sandwiched between the V8s of the Mustang and Camaro as the top-four cars battled for the point position.

As the race entered its final stages, a light sprinkle began to fall around the Daytona circuit and Matt Plumb, who enjoys racing in the tricky conditions that come with the rain, used that to his advantage as he utilized the draft on the Daytona high banks to once gain regain the race lead with just over 20 minutes to go.

He never looked back, eventually extending his winning margin to nearly seven seconds.“What an unbelievable stint he put together,” said Hugh Plumb of his brother’s run to the checkered flag. “We’ve raced together for a long time but I’ve never, ever seen him drive that well. He is a very talented driver. It’s great to be a part of this Rum Bum Racing team. Luis Bacardi, Rum Bum, the whole team, make this happen. I couldn’t be more pleased.”The win was all the more special for Matt and Hugh Plumb, who celebrated together in victory lane for the first time since 2008 and were eager to share the news with their mom at home as she is convalescing from routine surgery.

“Having to do this week in and week out with Hugh being on another team for so long, to be able to join together as a team is very special,” said Matt Plumb. “It’s not a typical brotherly relationship, it’s very professional. He does a good job and he makes me want to do a good job.

“I think certainly with the Porsche the top speed at the end of the straightaway helps us a little bit but we

 have to be in clean air and we have to be out in front so it’s really the crew’s responsibility for our success,” added Matt Plumb. “If I had been stuck in traffic, it would have been very difficult for me to keep moving forward. Hugh with an amazing driver handoff made it so much easier. The biggest plus for us today was toward the end of the race when it started to sprinkle. It was just enough to make the driving conditions a little tricky. As soon as that happened, I knew we were golden. Our car has always been very good in the wet and I very much enjoy driving in the rain.”

The IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge sees a six week break in race action before heading to Sebring International Raceway for Round 2 of the Championship.

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Another Big Day for Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing at Daytona

Media Notes:

  • Third win for Rum Bum Racing at Daytona, 16th overall IMSA win
  • Matt Plumb ties Sylvain Tremblay for most wins in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series (20)

Daytona Beach, Fla. (23 January 2015) – It was a familiar sight for fans of Luis Bacardi’s hometown team at Daytona International Speedway, as brothers Matt and Hugh Plumb delivered Rum Bum Racing its third victory at the 3.56-mile road course. The result kicked off the 2015 IMSA Continental SportsCar Challenge in a big way for the championship winning organization who won back-to-back championships in 2012 & 2013.

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Rum Bum Racing on the Front Row for Daytona Season-Opener

Daytona Beach, Fla. (22 January 2014) – When Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing takes the green flag for the Daytona 200 on Friday, starting driver Hugh Plumb will have a prime view after he qualified the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche on the front row for tomorrow’s 2.5-hour IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race.

A 15-minute Thursday afternoon qualifying session saw Plumb post a fast time of 1:56.779-seconds on his first flying lap as his ‘eyes in the sky’ Nick Longhi coached him for a good gap in traffic.

The No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche scored good draft on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway, helping Plumb score some precious tenths on the way to his fastest lap of the weekend so far. The effort was enough to secure second on the grid for 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge season-opening event.

“With this sort of team, I expect to be on the front row and I think if it was anything less, I would have let the team down,” said Hugh Plumb. “Thank you to the Bacardis, Rum Bum, and the whole team for making this happen.

Luckily, I was able to find a car to help us out on that lap because our car is good in the draft. And that’s what we needed. I think we’ll be right there at the front again tomorrow.. The plan is to give the car to Matt (Plumb) without a scratch and we’ll be all good.”

Hugh Plumb will open the race before handing the car over to his brother Matt Plumb, who also serves as Rum Bum Racing Team Manager, to take to the checkered flag.

Daytona International Speedway serves as Rum Bum Racing’s home track, with the team shop based in nearby Orlando, Florida. Having won the Daytona event twice before, the Rum Bum Racing squad is eager to return to Gatorade Victory Lane for a third time in front of their hometown fans.

“We didn’t have the car we really wanted after the practice sessions on Wednesday, but the guys put a ton of work in overnight to make a lot of changes, and that was clear in Hugh’s quick times,” said Matt Plumb. “It’s great to be starting with good track position and hopefully we can come out of here with a big result to kick off the year.”

The race will be streamed LIVE tomorrow on www.imsa.com beginning at 1:45 PM ET.

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Rum Bum Racing on the Front Row for Daytona Season-Opener

Daytona Beach, Fla. (22 January 2014) – When Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing takes the green flag for the Daytona 200 on Friday, starting driver Hugh Plumb will have a prime view after he qualified the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche on the front row for tomorrow’s 2.5-hour IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race.

A 15-minute Thursday afternoon qualifying session saw Plumb post a fast time of 1:56.779-seconds on his first flying lap as his ‘eyes in the sky’ Nick Longhi coached him for a good gap in traffic.

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Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb voted into Road Racing Drivers Club

Plumb was among 15 new members who were voted for the honor by current Road Racing Drivers Club members.

Orlando, Fla. – Having scored multiple championships and a category-leading count of race wins, Rum Bum Racing driver and Team Manager Matt Plumb recently earned a new accolade as he was voted into the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC) as a member of the 2014 class. Plumb was among 15 new members who were voted for the honor by current Road Racing Drivers Club members.

“This year’s lineup of new Regular Members includes professional racing champions past and present, amateur racing champions, and drivers with stellar racing credentials,” offered RRDC president Bobby Rahal. “And, of course, each driver has demonstrated his or her outstanding conduct on and off the track, a quality the RRDC members take into consideration when voting in new members.”………

To read more visit www.motorsport.com from the link below:

http://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/rum-bum-racing-s-matt-plumb-voted-into-road-racing-drivers-club/

 

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Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb voted into Road Racing Drivers Club

Plumb was among 15 new members who were voted for the honor by current Road Racing Drivers Club members.

Orlando, Fla. – Having scored multiple championships and a category-leading count of race wins, Rum Bum Racing driver and Team Manager Matt Plumb recently earned a new accolade as he was voted into the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC) as a member of the 2014 class. Plumb was among 15 new members who were voted for the honor by current Road Racing Drivers Club members.

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Rum Bum Racing Closes 2014 IMSA Championship on the Podium at Road Atlanta

Braselton, Ga. (3 October 2014) – Beating the odds in an extremely competitive field, Lu Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing closed out the 2014 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship with a third place finish at Road Atlanta on Friday.

Starting in last place due to unfortunate circumstances in qualifying, a combination of gutsy strategy, super-fast pit work, and an ironman performance by Matt Plumb produced a podium finish to end the 2014 season on a positive note.

Crew Chief Joe Varde’s call to pit starting driver Brandon Davis under green on Lap 2 set the team on a strategy that ultimately paid dividends by relying on consistent pace on track and an exceptional set of pit stops by the Rum Bum Racing crew.

“The strength of Rum Bum Racing is knowing that we can rely on the performance of every member and every part of this team” said Team Manager and lead driver Matt Plumb. “It was pretty lonely just putting in the laps early in the race at the back of the field, but unless I’m wrong, we jumped five positions on our first pit stop and six on our second; just a monster performance by our boys. At that point the race was truly on.”

The last 40 minutes turned into one of the most exciting races of the season with exactly the kind of action the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge is known for. Through the chaos the familiar yellow and blue No. 13 Porsche emerged to score a third place finish in the race, and hoist the reigning Drivers’ and two-time Team Champions to fourth place in the 2014 IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Team Championship.

“I’d like to thank all of our fans, supporters, partners, and especially our crew, Joe Varde, and Lu and Jennifer Bacardi for their guidance and support during this past season. It is a such pleasure to work with this awesome group of people, and a privilege to do it with all of our supporters across North America” added Plumb. “We’re already working on 2015 and we can’t wait to get started again in January at Daytona.”

The Road Atlanta event will be televised on Sunday, October 12 at 12:00 PM ET on FOX Sports 1.

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Rum Bum Racing Closes 2014 IMSA Championship on the Podium at Road Atlanta

Braselton, Ga. (3 October 2014) - Beating the odds in an extremely competitive field, Lu Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing closed out the 2014 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship with a third place finish at Road Atlanta on Friday.

Starting in last place due to unfortunate circumstances in qualifying, a combination of gutsy strategy, super-fast pit work, and an ironman performance by Matt Plumb produced a podium finish to end the 2014 season on a positive note.

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Rum Bum Racing Ready to Move Forward at Road Atlanta

Braselton, Ga. (2 October 2014) – Rum Bum Racing will look to move forward in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Road Atlanta on Friday after some bad luck caught the team out during qualifying on Thursday.

Brandon Davis, who is debuting with Rum Bum Racing this weekend, was all set to wheel the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche around the quick and challenging 2.54-mile road course during Thursday’s 15-minute qualifying session only to have qualifying go under a red flag for nearly the entire session. Unfortunately the squad wasn’t able to get a lap in and will be forced to start the 2.5-hour race from the rear of the field.

Fortunately, Rum Bum Racing is known for its strategy and that, combined with the driving combination of Team Manager and driver Matt Plumb and sportscar veteran Davis, has the team optimistic about Friday’s race.

“It’s been great working with Rum Bum Racing and I thank them for the opportunity to drive this weekend,” said Davis. “Qualifying didn’t go how we wanted it to. The car was really good and it looked like the one lap that we actually started would have put us right up there. But unfortunately when the red flag came out we hadn’t logged a lap yet so we just have to deal with the consequences of that. It might rain tomorrow which I’m fine with. It’s a great car and these Rum Bum guys do a great job. We’ll have a good car for the race and we’ll just work our way forward and go from there.”

The Road Atlanta event will go green at 1:15 PM ET on Friday and will be streamed LIVE on imsa.com. FOX Sports 2 will televise the race on Sunday, October 12 at 12:00 PM ET.

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Rum Bum Racing Ready to Move Forward at Road Atlanta

Braselton, Ga. (2 October 2014) – Rum Bum Racing will look to move forward in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Road Atlanta on Friday after some bad luck caught the team out during qualifying on Thursday.

Brandon Davis, who is debuting with Rum Bum Racing this weekend, was all set to wheel the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche around the quick and challenging 2.54-mile road course during Thursday’s 15-minute qualifying session only to have qualifying go under a red flag for nearly the entire session. Unfortunately the squad wasn’t able to get a lap in and will be forced to start the 2.5-hour race from the rear of the field.

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Rum Bum Racing Ready for Strong Close

Orlando, Fla. (29 September 2014) – Every team needs a Closer—the guy that everyone can count on to deliver a big performance right at clutch time. Whether that is the last pitch thrown in the World Series, or the final fish caught to make a winning difference in a tournament, Closers always count.

While many Rum Bum Racing fans might fondly recall the way the team burst on to the racing scene with a big victory in the season-opening race at Daytona in 2010, a look at the team trophy case points to an incredible record of performance in the final race of the season for the Luis Bacardi-owned squad.

The team won the final race of the season in 2010 (Salt Lake City), again in 2011 (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), and then once again in 2012 (Lime Rock Park) to secure the 2012 Championship.

The 2013 season-finale at Lime Rock Park once again saw a big performance as the team scored third place to lock in a second consecutive IMSA Championship.

So heading to the final race of the 2014 IMSA season this Friday at Road Atlanta, Rum Bum Racing will look to once again play the role of closer.

The 2.5-hour race will mark the end of what has been a frustrating season for the team, which despite a cloud of tough racing luck in 2014, saw the group make multiple front-row starts as well as continue to show themselves to be winners. Of the 690 laps that the team has completed so far this year, Rum Bum Racing led over 20% of them.

Rum Bum Racing drivers Matt Plumb and Brandon Davis will share the No. 13 Porsche Rum Bum Racing entry as Davis makes his debut for the squad. Friday’s race will culminate not only a season of racing, but also a busy four-day stretch of on-track practice and preparation. Longhi qualified the Porsche on pole and led the opening 10 laps for this race in 2013 and will look to continue to have a positive impact on the team this weekend.

“We are looking for Lady Luck to return our phone call this weekend!” said Plumb. “Everything has been business as usual this year, but luck has not been on our side. We have continued to elevate our game in the meantime even more than ever, when things do change on the luck front we will capitalize!”

Rum Bum Racing will have a promoter test day on Tuesday, one practice session on Wednesday as well as practice and qualifying sessions on Thursday with the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche ahead of the Friday race, which will last 2.5-hours starting at 1:15 PM ET. The Road Atlanta event will be streamed LIVE via imsa.com and will re-air on FOX Sports 1, Sunday October 12 at 12:00 PM ET.

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Rum Bum Racing Ready for Strong Close

Orlando, Fla. (29 September 2014) – Every team needs a Closer—the guy that everyone can count on to deliver a big performance right at clutch time. Whether that is the last pitch thrown in the World Series, or the final fish caught to make a winning difference in a tournament, Closers always count.

While many Rum Bum Racing fans might fondly recall the way the team burst on to the racing scene with a big victory in the season-opening race at Daytona in 2010, a look at the team trophy case points to an incredible record of performance in the final race of the season for the Luis Bacardi-owned squad.

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Rum Bum Racing’s Fighting Spirit Shines Through the Gloom in Texas

Austin, Texas (19 September 2014) – Seven time World Champion and Hall of Fame American sailor Paul Cayard said it best: “When life’s easy anyone can drive, but when it’s tough, the people who excel can make a difference.”

Reigning and two time defending IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Champions Rum Bum Racing lived up to that quote at the Circuit of the Americas round of the 2014 IMSA Championship in Austin, Texas. After record breaking seasons of success with 15 wins, the sheer bad luck that has followed the team in 2014 reared its head again before the green flag even flew. After a great third place qualifying effort by starting driver Hugh Plumb, a freak occurrence saw the engine’s serpentine belt come off on the first pace lap.

Post-race analysis pointed to a piece of debris causing the issue, but this potentially race-ending situation was attacked by the Rum Bum crew who got the car back in the race with a loss of only two laps, an amazing performance in itself. In very difficult weather conditions, the team clawed back to a 14th place finish on pure speed and determination.

Consistently the fastest car for the final hour of the race, lead driver Matt Plumb caught and passed the entire field including the overall leader, to get one of the two laps back. Crew Chief Joe Varde needed only one caution period for his one-stop strategy to play out and get the fan-favorite number 13 Porsche 911 back in contention for the win, but unusually for this series, that caution never came.

“That was one of the most challenging races I’ver ever driven” said Matt Plumb of his final stint. “There were a half dozen different ‘climates’ from corner to corner. It would be light drizzle, totally dry, then pouring rain in different places shifting around the track. I had some great coaching from our spotter MHP which was a huge help in those conditions”.

“What happened on the pace lap was completely unpredictable, just a continuation of the odd run of luck we have had this season” said Rum Bum Racing Technical Director Nick Longhi. “There is nothing anybody can do about it. Apart from that, and looking at what we could actually affect, the performance of the team today was stellar. By the numbers, we were in contention for the win, just a great effort from an exceptional group of people, from Lu Bacardi on down. When our luck comes back we’re going an a tear because every member on this team is looking for blood.”

Rum Bum Racing next travels to Road Atlanta in two weeks for the final race of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Brandon Davis will join Matt Plumb in the No. 13 Porsche for the season-finale event.

The post Rum Bum Racing’s Fighting Spirit Shines Through the Gloom in Texas appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

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Rum Bum Racing’s Fighting Spirit Shines Through the Gloom in Texas

Austin, Texas (19 September 2014) - Seven time World Champion and Hall of Fame American sailor Paul Cayard said it best: “When life’s easy anyone can drive, but when it’s tough, the people who excel can make a difference."

Reigning and two time defending IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Champions Rum Bum Racing lived up to that quote at the Circuit of the Americas round of the 2014 IMSA Championship in Austin, Texas. After record breaking seasons of success with 15 wins, the sheer bad luck that has followed the team in 2014 reared its head again before the green flag even flew. After a great third place qualifying effort by starting driver Hugh Plumb, a freak occurrence saw the engine’s serpentine belt come off on the first pace lap.

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Rum Bum Racing Third on Circuit of the Americas Grid

Austin, Texas (18 September 2014) – The Rum Bum Racing No. 13 Porsche will start from the second row of the grid at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on Friday following Thursday afternoon’s 15-minute qualifying session. Hugh Plumb turned a fast lap time of 2:23.211-seconds around the challenging 3.4-mile road course to take third on the 52-car combined class grid.

Hugh Plumb will open the 2.5-hour IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race before handing the controls over to his brother and co-driver Matt Plumb who will take the car to the finish. Having placed fourth in last year’s debut race at COTA after starting third, Rum Bum Racing looks to take its first Circuit of the Americas podium with a positive outing in Friday’s race.

The No. 13 Porsche rolled off of the trailer and was immediately quick as the team posted the quickest time during the first practice held under warm and slightly wet track conditions. Rum Bum Racing then posted the fifth quickest time of the second practice which was held under hot and sticky weather conditions as the Rum Bum squad prepared for the 15-minute qualifying run.

“It’s great to be able to put the Rum Bum Porsche right up at the front,” said Hugh Plumb. “Thanks to the Bacardis and all the guys at Rum Bum for giving me a great car. And of course to my brother Matt who I expect to bring it home and put us right at the front at the end of the race. The car was good. I only had a couple of laps and it says something about the team, for me to be able to just get in the car and put it up front. So I thank them and the Bacardi family the most.Tomorrow we’ll just try to keep it clean and keep it at the front.”

With rain in the forecast for Friday’s race, the event could be an interesting one with different strategies put into play.

After some bad racing luck in the previous two events, the 2012 & 2013 GS Champions would like nothing more than to return to the podium at such an iconic circuit as the Circuit of the Americas.

The 2.5-hour race is set to go green at 12:20PM Central Time and will be streamed LIVE on imsa.com. Follow @RumBumRacing on Twitter for updates throughout the race!

The COTA event will be televised on FOX Sports 1 Sunday, September 28 at 12:00 PM ET.

The post Rum Bum Racing Third on Circuit of the Americas Grid appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

View Full Article

Rum Bum Racing Third on Circuit of the Americas Grid

Austin, Texas (18 September 2014) – The Rum Bum Racing No. 13 Porsche will start from the second row of the grid at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on Friday following Thursday afternoon’s 15-minute qualifying session. Hugh Plumb turned a fast lap time of 2:23.211-seconds around the challenging 3.4-mile road course to take third on the 52-car combined class grid.

Hugh Plumb will open the 2.5-hour IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race before handing the controls over to his brother and co-driver Matt Plumb who will take the car to the finish. Having placed fourth in last year’s debut race at COTA after starting third, Rum Bum Racing looks to take its first Circuit of the Americas podium with a positive outing in Friday’s race.

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