Sebring, Fla. (11 March 2014) – The next chapter in Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing history will be written this Saturday as the team takes on the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. The outing marks the team’s first-ever IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship effort as the Florida-based team takes on a new challenge with a step up to the bigs in the 62nd running of the 12 Hour.

Drivers Jan Heylen, Madison Snow, and Matt Plumb tested the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche GT America machine at Sebring last month and are eager to get back to the track this week for Saturday’s huge event. After a late change to driver rankings last week by IMSA, Rum Bum Racing has added Hugh Plumb to the driving line up for the Sebring race.

“It appears that nepotism is alive and well at Rum Bum Racing,” joked Matt Plumb. “Adding Hugh to the lineup wasn’t about that, he will be a great addition to the team. We got word about my driver rating situation very late in the game, but we were lucky that someone able, and close to the team could be called up. I am glad to have Hugh be a part of this effort because he’s got a ton of experience in these cars and in long races and we know he can get the job done.”

Hugh Plumb raced with the squad in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge season-opener, bringing home a fourth place finish with Kaz Grala.

“After competing against this team for so many years, it was great to get the chance to drive for Rum Bum Racing at Daytona and now I’m really grateful for this opportunity at Sebring,” said Hugh Plumb. “I was so impressed with the depth of talent on this team and I think that’s going to be key this weekend. Even though this is Rum Bum Racing’s first-ever Sebring 12 Hour, I can’t think of any other group that I’d want behind me.”

The Sebring outing sees the Heylen/Snow duo looking to build on their season-opening run to the GTD podium at Daytona as the two Porsche aces join Rum Bum Racing with technical support from Wright Motorsports.

“Well we were at Daytona to win and finished third and now we’re here for the same reason—to win,” said Heylen. “I think we have the tools, team, and drivers to do that with but we’re a little dependent on the series and the BOP (Balance of Performance) and we’ll see what the other cars are doing. As far as I’m concerned we have a good team, good drivers and if everything is fair and well then that’s what we’ll need to win the race.

“Working with Rum Bum Racing has been great and I hope we just do well,” said Snow, who won the 2013 Porsche GT3 USA by Yokohama championship. “We’ll get the car figured out and then get back down here for the race and just look for a strong finish.”

Rum Bum Racing will take to the track on Thursday, March 13 for the first official practice session, with the group slated to reveal a dynamic new livery on Wednesday.

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida
Round 2
2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship

Thursday, March 14
9:55 AM-10:55 AM      Practice
4:05 PM-5:05 PM        Practice
8:00 PM-9:30 PM        Practice

Friday, March 15
9:55 AM-10:55 AM        Practice
4:10 PM                        Qualifying

Saturday, March 16
8:00 AM-8:25 AM        Warm Up
10:15 AM-10:15 PM    Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida

The post Rum Bum Racing Takes to Sebring For TUDOR Debut appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

Sebring, Fla. (21 February 2014) – Rum Bum Racing quickly got up to speed in IMSA testing at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday and Friday as the team not only tested its No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche in Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition but also made its on track debut in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Rum Bum Racing Team Manager and driver Matt Plumb teamed with Madison Snow and Jan Heylen in the No. 13 Porsche GT America as the trio are set to contest the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring in the GT Daytona (GTD) class.

Working through a variety of different set-ups on the Porsche, Rum Bum Racing logged plenty of laps during Thursday morning’s test session and was prepared take what the team had learned and apply it during the afternoon session. Traffic is sure to be a major factor on the challenging 3.74-mile circuit at race time, and the team got an unfortunate preview of that on Thursday. Heading into the hairpin, that traffic came into play as an LMPC machine brought too much speed and ambition into the corner, braking hard to make up for it but only succeeding in spinning directly into Plumb’s path as he had no where to go and took a hard hit from the Prototype machine.

Damage to the right front of the car forced the team to sit out the remainder of the session. Undeterred, the Rum Bum group made the necessary repairs and was ready to return right back to the testing plan Friday morning.

“We’re just getting used to the track and the car so it was interesting to see what the car could do here at Sebring,” said Snow. “It went well yesterday until we had the incident but the good thing is that it was at the end of the day so it didn’t ruin the entire day. But the guys got the car fixed and got everything going again and we’re just working on the car to make it better for the 12 Hours of Sebring. It’s been awesome working with Rum Bum – everyone works well together and it’s been really good.”

“We had a little bit of a setback yesterday – it’s too bad that these things happen in practice,” added Heylen. “But the team made a good recovery this morning and we had a good session and tried a few things that all worked so I’m excited. Overall, it was a good test. I’m very excited to be here with Madison (Snow) and I think we have a good line-up for the race. The team is just blending together well and Matt (Plumb) has really done a good job in the car – it’s not an easy car to drive so he’s been doing great.”

After running among the top-10 in the first and third test sessions, Rum Bum Racing had hoped to carry that positive momentum through the fourth and final TUDOR session of the test but unfortunately an engine issue just seven laps in saw the team’s day end early.

Rum Bum Racing will return to its Orlando, Florida-based shop to continue to make improvements to the Porsche GT America machine in preparation for the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.

The squad also made solid progress in Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge testing with both Plumb and co-driver Nick Longhi taking laps in the No. 13 Porsche.

“It was a good few days for us here at Sebring,” said Plumb. “Everyone has meshed well together and we learned a lot in a short amount of time. It was great to start to get a feel for this new Porsche 911 GT America. Jan and Madison were great to work with and even though we were frustrated to get hit yesterday, it was a great test overall and now we know what we need to focus on in the next few weeks to be ready to go when we come back. It is another race in Mr. Bacardi’s home state, and we’re really motivated to do well in both races. ”

Rum Bum Racing will be back in race action in three weeks when the group returns to Sebring International Raceway for its TUDOR debut and for the second round of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship as Rum Bum pursues its third consecutive championship title.

The post Rum Bum Racing Up to Speed in Sebring Testing appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

Snow, Heylen, and Plumb set for IMSA GTD effort

Orlando, Fla. (19 February 2014) – Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing will return to the top level of IMSA Racing when the team makes its IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship debut with the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche GT America in the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring on March 15. It marks the second start for the Florida-based team in the IMSA GT ranks after the team had a scene-stealing run in the 2013 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The Rum Bum Racing driver line up for Sebring boasts youth, experience, and a lot of speed as team manager and driver Matt Plumb will team with young rising talent Madison Snow and experienced pilot Jan Heylen in the GTD category for the 12-hour endurance classic.

At just 18 years old, Snow has already achieved remarkable success through his young racing career. He is the youngest driver ever to win a Porsche Cup race and he took home the Platinum Cup driver Championship in 2013. Snow recently completed his third IMSA GT3 Cup season and clinched the overall 2013 championship title some two races before the season ended.

In 2013, Snow teamed with his mother Melanie Snow as the duo made history as the first ever mother-son teammates in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Snow scored a podium finish in the 2014 event in just his second start, taking third place with co-drivers Heylen and Marco Seefried.

Affable and quick, Heylen brings experience from his exploits in IndyCar, Indy Lights, and IMSA to the effort. The Belgian finished fourth in the 2013 12 Hours of Sebring event as well as third in 2012. He won the prestigious Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 2002 and was the 2005 Renault Eurocup Champion. He spent a season racing in IndyCar competition with Dale Coyne Racing and gave the team its best finish at the time of fifth at the Cleveland Grand Prix. Heylen has also campaigned in the European Sports Car Championship in a Porsche as well as in both the American IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Plumb, who will have a busy weekend as he and his fellow IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge champion Nick Longhi will also be in action in defense of their 2012 and 2013 IMSA titles, also brings experience at the top levels to the effort.  Plumb led in his very first race as a Daytona Prototype driver, and had established himself as a force in GT competition before being called up for the Audi Sport customer racing effort in 2013.

Rum Bum Racing nearly won in the Rolex 24 At Daytona last year in the group’s first attempt, running just one lap shy of fuel before being forced to pit on the final lap and ultimately finished seventh.

Calling the shots for the effort will be the cagey and experienced Joe Varde, who himself knows what it is like to take on the 12 Hour race having driven a Porsche 911 RSR in the 1999 running of the event.  Well-respected for his leadership atop the pit box, Rum Bum Racing will look for the same leadership from Varde that has led the team to two consecutive Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championships. Adding to the strength of the effort will be John Wright of Wright Motorsports, who will provide technical support for the 12 Hour classic.

Rum Bum Racing will continue its pursuit of a third Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship when Plumb and co-driver Nick Longhi once again combine together for the first CTSCC race at Sebring International Raceway which will be held on March 14, the day before the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The team will get both cars up to speed this week at the IMSA test held at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday and Friday.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Rum Bum Racing and I couldn’t be happier about how everything came together for this Sebring campaign,” said Plumb. “Getting the chance to move up to the GTD Class, which we’ve already seen is incredibly competitive, is a very positive step for the organization. The 12 Hour is a very big race and this year it should be the best yet. All the ingredients are here for this effort so everyone is just chomping at the bit to get going in testing this week!”

Rum Bum Racing Information:
2010: 3 Wins (Daytona, Trois-Rivières, Miller Motorsports Park)
BMW Manufacturer Championship
2011: 3 Wins (Daytona, Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course)
BMW Manufacturer Championship
2012: 5 Wins (Barber Motorsports Park, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Road America, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock Park)
IMSA Team Champions, Porsche wins Manufacturer Championship
2013: 3 Wins (Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Road America)
IMSA Team and Driver Champions, Porsche wins Manufacturer Championship

The post Rum Bum Racing Ready for TUDOR Debut at Sebring appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

Daytona Beach,  Fla. (24 January 2014) –  Since the very first day the team debuted at the track with a victory, Rum Bum Racing has been setting records at Daytona International Speedway.

Friday was no different as the team once again made history when the No. 03 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3 of Hugh Plumb and Kaz Grala finished fourth in the BMW Performance 200 as young Grala set a record as the youngest-ever racer in IMSA history at just over 15 years old.

The race, which marked the opening round of the 2014 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge season, also saw the sister No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche of Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb finish 14th. The result came as a disappointment after the car was leading the race with less than 10 minutes to go. An unfortunate momentary mechanical issue slowed Plumb from the lead with just a few laps to go in the race before he was able to recover and take the checkered flag.

Longhi opened the race from the front row, with the pole-winning BMW surging to the lead. But it was not even one lap before Longhi moved to the point. 22 laps later, Longhi pitted to turn the car over to Plumb and take on fuel and a new set of Continental Tires.  A textbook Rum Bum Racing pit stop helped to grow the advantage, and when the full field cycled through the pit stops, Plumb was in a familiar position—leading.

While the BMW machines—which ended up taking the top-six finishing positions, seemed to have the upper hand with outright pace, Plumb fought hard to keep the lead and was successful as the race wound down to the final 10 minutes. A dream day at Daytona came to an agonizing halt as the Porsche stalled for moment, slowing to a crawl as the other cars sped by. Plumb stayed calm and cycled through the fuel reserve to get the car back going. But the lost ground—and a final yellow flag to keep him from fighting to gain the track position back—was costly as he finished the race 14th.

“Under green, all of a sudden, it just died coming out of turn two,” offered Plumb, who has scored 14 IMSA wins with Rum Bum Racing. “It just cut out entirely. I immediately went to the reserve (fuel pump) but it was so starved out that it took a bit to get it going. I don’t know what happened. The car up to that point was perfect. We’d conserved fuel in the first half of my stint to keep the stop shorter. We had to be quick in the pits because we didn’t have the pace of the BMW guys. I couldn’t shake them today. So it is a shame not to be able to take home the win but we’ve got a lot of racing ahead of us and the best team in the business behind us.”

“The team strategy, was, again, perfect,” said Longhi. “The car was great, exactly what it needed to be. I was fighting with the BMW’s, and we knew they’d be strong here. Joe (Varde) made the strategy calls and we were able to stay out front. These things happen and it shows how incredibly competitive this series is to be leading with 10 minutes to go and have a two second stutter and end up 15th.  This is a long championship—longer than ever. We had the team to win and the car to win and we were going to win, but that just didn’t happen today. It’s a long season and we’ll just pick it up in Sebring.”

The day was a little more straightforward for Grala and Hugh Plumb, with Grala moving up from 13th on the grid to run in second place just some 20 laps into the race. The young NASCAR racer set the fastest lap of the race at that point for good measure before turning he car over to Hugh Plumb to take to the finish. Returning to the track in 19th, the elder Plumb moved steadily forward, but his progress was halted after moving up to fifth as a balky gear exchange was keeping him from being able to carry crucial momentum through the bus stop chicane.

“Kaz did a great job and brought it in, right where he should,” said Plumb. “We caught some bad breaks with where we came out after the pit stop. We were hoping we’d be able to have helped the 13 guys more but we had an issue with third gear so we were getting hammered through the bus stop and couldn’t make up more ground. But the Rum Bum guys did a great job and the car handled great. It was a great experience to run for this team and Kaz just did a great job.”

“It was a blast, I had a lot of fun driving the car,” said an enthused Grala. “The yellow came at a great time for us to do the pit stop, and Hugh went out and just wheeled it. The most difficult thing for me was maneuvering in the traffic-with the GS cars and the ST cars. I wasn’t used to it at first, but I kept learning as the race went on. It was a great weekend and I learned a lot. A really big, big thanks to Rum Bum Racing for this opportunity.  I’m really thankful to get to do this and they are clearly a great team.”

The next chapter in the 12-race championship story will unfold at Sebring International Speedway on March 14.

The post Leading Late, Rum Bum Racing Suffers Late Stumble at Daytona appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

Daytona Beach,  Fla. (23 January 2014) – They say that being lucky can be better than being good, but as Rum Bum Racing showed on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, being well-prepared can sometimes trump both.

Having the car prepared well in advance of the session, the championship team was first in the qualifying line and ready to go as the 2014 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar (CTSC) Championship launched with the first grid-setting session of the season.

That preparation paid dividends as Rum Bum Racing drivers Nick Longhi and Kaz Grala made the most of the open track when the field took the green flag for the 15-minute session.

The two were able to score a fast lap time before a red flag came out, which sent all the cars back to pit lane to wait for the track to go back green. With Longhi putting the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche on the top spot on the board and Grala nabbing third with the No. 03 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3, it was a long wait for the team before the green flag came back out. When it did, there was but three minutes left on the board.

Once again heading out in formation, but this time mired in traffic, Longhi and Grala looked to make the most of the last lap flyer but were stymied by slow traffic in the bus stop as the checkered flag flew.  But Longhi’s first lap time was still good enough to score a spot on the front row, with Grala set to start from the seventh row in 13th.

“The fact of the matter is that in this series, you have to go, right away,” said Longhi, who will share the No. 13 Porsche with Matt Plumb. “It was just about everything the car had. We knew there wouldn’t be much time and we were right in the middle of traffic. We gapped a little bit and it worked well until we got into the bus stop and someone was just parked there. But I’m super happy with how the weekend has started-the team put me in position to have that clear track. It was great to get one fast one in before the red flag. We do not have the fastest car at this track, so it was down to the team that put us in this position. I’m amazed by the job that Kaz Grala has done, he’s a NASCAR star of the future to keep an eye on, there is no question.”

Grala, who is the youngest driver in IMSA history, will make his Daytona debut tomorrow as he takes the green flag for the first time at the famous circuit before handing the car off to his co-driver Hugh Plumb.

“The  Continental tires felt really good – it felt like I had a lot of grip,” said  Grala, who is set to co-drive with Hugh Plumb. “We had a pretty good lap, some nice drafting with my teammate. We did  catch a bit of traffic on that last lap which unfortunately ended up killing my run on the front stretch. But Nick (Longhi) wasn’t as affected so he ended up  really fast and we were just a bit slower. But all in all, it was a really, really good qualifying run and I am pumped for tomorrow. I think we are in a great starting spot and it’s a 2.5-hour race so we should have plenty of time to make up ground.”

Rum Bum Racing will see a final 30-minute practice session tomorrow morning and the BMW Performance 200 will go green at 1:45 PM (ET).
Live timing and scoring can be followed at www.scoring.imsa.com. FOX Sports 2 will have same-day television coverage of the season opener at 6:00 PM (ET).

Rum Bum Racing Information:
2010: 3 Wins (Daytona, Trois Riviers, Miller Motorsports Park)
BMW Manufacturer Championship
2011: 3 Wins (Daytona, Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course)
BMW Manufacturer Championship
2012: 5 Wins (Barber Motorsports Park, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Road America, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock Park)
IMSA Team Champions, Porsche wins Manufacturer Championship
2013: 3 Wins (Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Road America)
IMSA Team and Driver Champions, Porsche wins Manufacturer Championship

Kaz Grala Bio:
At 4 years old, Kaz got his first kart – a CRG Bambino with a 50cc Comer, which he raced at the F1-Outdoors road course in Massachusetts.

At 7 he started racing year-round at F1-Boston, a multi-track indoor road racing facility also in Massachusetts. He accumulated over 100 wins and 2 championships.

At 10 he started racing Bandolero cars in Charlotte NC. This was his introduction to oval racing. He won multiple championships (oval and road course) including the most prestigious Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

At 12 Kaz moved up to Legend Cars. In 2012 he won 15 of 58 races run all over the country on both ovals and road courses. Ended Legends by winning the Winter Heat Championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the highest and age-unlimited Pro Division.

Kaz kicked off 2013 as the youngest NASCAR driver ever to compete at Daytona International Speedway. At 14 years and 51 days old he started his first ever race in a Late Model Stock Car at the inaugural Battle at the Beach. On June 22, 2013 Kaz won his first LMSC race at Hickory Motor Speedway – becoming the youngest winner in UARA series history.

At the Roar test (Jan 3-5), Grala was 15 years and 5 days old, the youngest driver ever to participate in an IMSA/Grand-Am sanctioned event.

The post Front Row Start for Rum Bum Racing at Daytona appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

Orlando, Fla. (20 January 2014) – The two-time defending IMSA Champion Rum Bum Racing squad is ready to get the season off to another fast start, and the team has doubled down to score a big result this weekend in the home race.

The team will kick off the 2014 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship in Friday’s BMW Performance 200 at Daytona International Speedway (Rum Bum Racing Fans can tune into same day broadcast on Fox Sports 2 at 6:00 PM ET) with a strong two-car entry for the opening round of the 2014 season.

Rum Bum Racing will return to a two-car effort for the season-opener with 2013 IMSA champions Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi returning to the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche, while  15-year-old Kaz Grala will join sportscar veteran Hugh Plumb in the No. 03 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3.

The addition of the No. 03 BMW for the Daytona event followed a successful and productive test at the Roar Before the 24 two weeks ago when Grala and Hugh Plumb each logged laps around the 3.56-mile roval circuit driving the BMW machine during the three-day test. It was the first experience in the BMW, and first taste of professional level road racing,  for Grala, who currently competes in the United Auto Racing Association Late Model Stock Tour, and the young racer immediately impressed the team.

Rum Bum Racing will make history at Daytona as Grala is set to become the youngest driver to compete in IMSA history. He is the son of Darius Grala who raced in the GT and Daytona Prototype ranks from 2002-2005, winning at Watkins Glen in his debut race.

“Kaz did an absolutely amazing job at the test,” said team manager Matt Plumb. “He really set everyone’s minds at ease that he could get the job done and he fit in perfectly working well with all of us. He is very professional, especially for his young age. I also love the fact that Rum Bum Racing is once again part of making history. I think that he’s going to raise some eyebrows this weekend and we are very excited to have him on board.”

Rum Bum Racing, which operates its race shop in nearby Orlando, Florida, has traditionally performed well at the Daytona circuit, which features the famous Daytona high banks as well as the twisty infield sections of the road course.

The 2014 event marks Rum Bum’s fifth Daytona race and the team has never finished outside of the top-five at the track. The group claimed victory in its first-ever race in 2010 in the No. 13 BMW with drivers Gian Bacardi and Matt Plumb. Rum Bum Racing returned the following year and once again claimed top honors with the No. 13 BMW. 2012 saw Rum Bum Racing take fifth at the finish. The road to the championship in 2013 kicked off with a run to the podium for Longhi and Plumb as the potent duo claimed the team’s third Daytona podium as the two took a second-place finish.

“Going into this race is an insurmountable challenge because everybody raises their game,” said Plumb of the season-opening event. “The one thing you can be sure of is that as the bar is raised, our crew rises with it. We have done a tremendous amount of work over the off-season to make sure we are at the level or above everybody else. Just like last year, we didn’t have the five wins that we had the year before, but we had the consistency. We got the car reliable, the handling is consistent and we can make it run over a long period of time. So that is going to be our strong point and our focus, keep finishing and keep it reliable.”

Rum Bum Racing is the first to field a 15-year-old driver in an IMSA-sanctioned event and the team will target another first this weekend: with a strong two-car effort, the group looks to take its first double podium finish.

“The Roar test allowed me to get comfortable in the car and with the track, both being new to me,” said Grala. “Heel-toe down-shifting is a technique that I wasn’t completely confident with coming into the test, but by the second day, it felt completely natural. The most important thing for me in the race will be to stay relaxed. I enjoy road racing a lot and this car is a blast to drive. I very much appreciate this opportunity from Mr. Bacardi to be with a championship winning team. I cannot wait for the race on Friday!”

The team was further encouraged in the test by the pace that the BMW showed with both Grala and Hugh Plumb at the wheel, underscoring the strength of preparation by the team as the M3 had not turned a wheel in anger for over a year yet was right on pace in testing.

“I’ve raced against Rum Bum Racing this team for several years, and now, getting the chance to run for this team is an incredible honor and I’m really grateful to Mr. Bacardi for the opportunity,” said Hugh Plumb, who has countless laps of experience with the BMW M3 platform. “Everyone is 100% dedicated to winning, and the level of preparation is just incredible. I’m really looking forward to racing with Kaz (Grala)-he was just really incredible in the test. He approached it like an experienced 25 year old racer, not a 15 year old who was coming from a circle track background. What he did in the test was pretty amazing and I am sure he will continue to hit his marks and just keep improving. This is a great opportunity and I’m just really looking forward to Daytona.”

Both cars will take to the track for official practice on Wednesday (1:30 PM – 2:30 PM, 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM). Thursday will see a third round of practice (11:45 AM – 12:15 PM) before a 15-minute qualifying session which is set to begin at 2:30 PM. A 30-minute final practice will take place at 9:45 AM on Friday with the 2.5-hour race to begin at 1:45 PM. All times are Eastern Standard.

Live timing and scoring can be followed at www.scoring.imsa.com. FOX Sports 2 will have same-day television coverage of the season opener at 6:00 PM (ET).

Rum Bum Racing Information:
2010: 3 Wins (Daytona, Trois Riviers, Miller Motorsports Park)
BMW Manufacturer Championship
2011: 3 Wins (Daytona, Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course)
BMW Manufacturer Championship
2012: 5 Wins (Barber Motorsports Park, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Road America, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock Park)     IMSA Team Champions, Porsche wins Manufacturer Championship
2013:    3 Wins (Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Road America)
IMSA Team and Driver Champions, Porsche wins Manufacturer Championship

Kaz Grala Bio:
At 4 years old, Kaz got his first kart – a CRG Bambino with a 50cc Comer, which he raced at the F1-Outdoors road course in Massachusetts.

At 7 he started racing year-round at F1-Boston, a multi-track indoor road racing facility also in Massachusetts. He accumulated over 100 wins and 2 championships.

At 10 he started racing Bandolero cars in Charlotte NC. This was his introduction to oval racing. He won multiple championships (oval and road course) including the most prestigious Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

At 12 Kaz moved up to Legend Cars. In 2012 he won 15 of 58 races run all over the country on both ovals and road courses. Ended Legends by winning the Winter Heat Championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the highest and age-unlimited Pro Division.

Kaz kicked off 2013 as the youngest NASCAR driver ever to compete at Daytona International Speedway. At 14 years and 51 days old he started his first ever race in a Late Model Stock Car at the inaugural Battle at the Beach. On June 22, 2013 Kaz won his first LMSC race at Hickory Motor Speedway – becoming the youngest winner in UARA series history.

At the Roar test (Jan 3-5), Grala was 15 years and 5 days old, the youngest driver ever to participate in an IMSA/Grand-Am sanctioned event.

*2013 was another championship year for Rum Bum Racing, watch the video here: http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/rum-bum-racing-2013-championship-season
*Youngest-ever driver in modern IMSA Era as promising young NASCAR pilot joins Rum Bum Racing for Daytona round with experienced BMW veteran Hugh Plumb
*BMW and Porsche dual-attack for 2012 and 2013 IMSA Champions

The post Defending Champs Rum Bum Racing Ready To Take on Daytona with Two-Car Entry appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

Daytona Beach, Fla. (5 January 2014) – Following a quick turnaround from the holiday season, Rum Bum Racing went back to work this weekend as the team looks to not only return to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway, but also make progress towards a third consecutive IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Championship.

With a mixture of old and new, the team struck a great balance over the weekend and is prepared to take on the challenge of the new IMSA era.

With three days of testing for the Roar Before the 24 test at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, Rum Bum Racing was in full force as the team took to the track with two entries.

Leading the effort was the defending champion No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche 911 with Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi behind the wheel, with the sister No. 03 BMW M3 being shared by Rum Bum Racing newcomers Hugh Plumb and Kaz Grala. The BMW hadn’t been used in anger for quite some time, and arrived to the test fully prepared as Rum Bum Racing fans have come to expect.

“It was important for us to bring the BMW to give us a kind of baseline of where everybody really is,” said Matt Plumb. “And to be able to dust this thing off after sitting for two years and have it be top-two and top-three on the time sheets every time we tried to go fast shows us that we have a lot to look out for this season.”

Laying down over 200 laps throughout the three day test gave the Rum Bum crew valuable information and experience going into the opening race of the season, and the entire team feels confident in their ability to contend with the field and finish the race well.

Although the Rum Bum crew comes into this season with two consecutive championships under their belts and a great amount of familiarity among the team, they are by no means taking anything for granted and know what it will take to get that elusive top spot on the podium at the BMW Performance 200.

“With all the years that this team now has worked together, it is comfortable–but there is no complacency–we are just as motivated as the first day we showed up here in Daytona four years ago,” added Plumb. “Everybody knows how everybody else works and as I have said before, everybody had been so familiar with everybody from the moment we started this deal.”

Grala, who is the 15 year old son of former Daytona Prototype pilot Darius Grala, set a new mark as the youngest to participate in an IMSA event at Daytona International Speedway. But the outing was no mere statistical exhibition run, as the youngster was right on the pace with the BMW as he soaked up as much guidance as he could from his experienced co-driver Hugh Plumb.

“This week was awesome! I have never raced on this track, never driven it and actually never even seen it until this week,” said Grala, who also was in short track action on Saturday night at the fabled New Smyrna Speedway just down the road. “I had also never been in this car before so it was a whole new experience for me. I had a little bit of experience with the heel-toe downshifting, but not much at all. I was never able to do it really smoothly until this weekend. I got really comfortable with it because this track has a lot of heavy braking zones and downshifts. Really I have just been having fun out there this weekend.”

Hugh Plumb, who has won in IMSA with brother Matt as his co-driver, was impressed with what he saw in his first outing with Rum Bum Racing.

“First of all what a privilege it is to drive with such a team of absolute champions,” said Hugh Plumb. “They prove it on and off the track. So it is a huge privilege to be able to drive with them and hopefully we can continue the relationship. My co-driver, Kaz Grala, did an amazing job, and a big thanks to Luis Bacardi and my brother Matt Plumb for giving me this opportunity today.”

With such a big weekend, it was understandable that Grala could hardly shake the grin from his face.

“It was huge to be able to partner with Rum Bum Racing,” said Grala. “Everything from driving tips, downshifting tips, just everything. These guys really helped out and they seriously know what they are talking about, obviously coming off of two championships they are no slouches.”

Rum Bum Racing will be back in action in three weeks’ time for the BMW Performance 200 at Daytona International Speedway January 25.

The post Double Success for Rum Bum Racing at the Roar Before the 24 appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

Orlando, Fla. (2 January 2014) – This weekend, Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing will return to Daytona International Speedway, the site of its dramatic breakthrough debut victory, for a three day test as the team looks to score a third consecutive IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Team Championship  in 2014.

The team has enjoyed remarkable success at the fabled high-banked track and will open the 2014 IMSA season with three days of testing during the traditional “Roar Before the 24” test. The team is pleased to have Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi return to co-drive the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche as the 2013 IMSA Driver Champions look to add to their stellar race record together.

Also on hand with Rum Bum Racing for the Roar test will be Kaz Grala and Hugh Plumb, who will be testing the No. 03 BMW M3 machine that the team first scored a victory with at the track in 2010.

Kaz Grala, who is the son of former Daytona Prototype pilot Darius, has been building a career on the NASCAR path and has already notched several championships and records on his way up. The wins and accomplishments are all the more impressive given that he is yet to turn 16 years old. (15 years, 5 days old as of the first day of the test, setting a record for youngest driver to participate in an IMSA event).

The young driver is eager to soak up as much experience as he can get as he samples the car in the test.

Hugh Plumb has raced the BMW M3 platform the last two years and will take part in the test to support Grala’s progress on the track while also helping the team get reacquainted with the BMW platform.

“Nick (Longhi) and I have known Darius for ages and have literally watched Kaz grow up, so we’ve followed his progress in NASCAR and it’s been nothing short of impressive,” said Plumb. “We mentioned to Mr. Bacardi that there was a young talent who was looking to get some experience in a sports car and he was 100% behind us bringing this M3 out for the test. Hugh has a lot of current experience in the BMW so he should be a great help to Kaz to learn the car and the track as well. This is going to be another incredibly competitive season, and we have a big list of things we want to learn this weekend to be in as strong a position as possible for when we come back to race in a few weeks.”

The test will run from Friday to Sunday (schedule link: http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tickets-Events/Events/2014/Roar-Before-The-Rolex-24/Schedule.aspx). IMSA.com will post timing and scoring information throughout the weekend.

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Kaz Grala notes:
- At 4 years old, Kaz got his first kart – a CRG Bambino with a 50cc Comer, which he raced at the F1-Outdoors road course in Massachusetts.
- At 7 he started racing year-round at F1-Boston, a multi-track indoor road racing facility also in Massachusetts. He accumulated over 100 wins and 2 championships.
- At 10 he started racing Bandolero cars in Charlotte NC. This was his introduction to oval racing. He won multiple championships (oval and road course) including the most prestigious Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- At 12 Kaz moved up to Legend Cars. In 2012 he won 15 of 58 races run all over the country on both ovals and road courses. Ended Legends by winning the Winter Heat Championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the highest and age-unlimited Pro Division.
- Kaz kicked off 2013 as the youngest NASCAR driver ever to compete at Daytona International Speedway. At 14 years and 51 days old he started his first ever race in a Late Model Stock Car at the inaugural Battle at the Beach. On June 22, 2013 Kaz won his first LMSC race at Hickory Motor Speedway – becoming the youngest winner in UARA series history.
- When he climbs into the Rum Bum car tomorrow, he will be 15 years and 5 days old. The youngest driver ever to participate in an IMSA/Grand-Am sanctioned event.

The post Rum Bum Racing Ready to Roar in Daytona Once Again appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.