Orlando, Fla. (25 September 2013) – In a season that has seen Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing take three victories and six podiums while remaining at the top of the championship standings throughout the year, the 2013 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship has come down to the final race of the year at Lime Rock Park this weekend.
While the Florida-based team will be looking to add to its podium tally in Saturday’s race around the 1.53-mile Connecticut road course, Rum Bum Racing could well be celebrating its second consecutive team championship at the drop of the green flag as the provisional championship standings would see Rum Bum clinch the championship title at the start of the race.
Rum Bum drivers Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb are also well on their way to the Driver Championship title as the provisional standings see the pair holding a 34-point advantage.
The Rum Bum squad has traditionally run very well in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche at Longhi’s home track of Lime Rock Park, which stages two separate races for the GS and ST classes. He and Plumb drove from third to claim victory in 2011 and then followed up that effort last year by taking the pole and then leading 85 laps en route to taking the victory and winning the 2012 Team Championship title.
Though the team has shown strength at Lime Rock before, Rum Bum Racing will still have work to do in the one 45-minute GS practice session held ahead of GS qualifying on Friday as the team takes its first laps around Lime Rock in its new Porsche 997 which Rum Bum Racing debuted earlier this year at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
“Hopefully, with the limited track time, we can roll off the truck with a quick car,” offered Plumb on the Porsche 997 that the team built from the ground up. “But we have seen that this car sometimes likes different set ups than the cars we’ve had in the past, so there is a little bit of a question mark for us. But the team has stepped up to every challenge, time and time again, and we are all looking forward to having another strong weekend at Lime Rock and hopefully having something to celebrate on Saturday.”
As Rum Bum Racing pursues its second consecutive GRAND-AM Championship at Lime Rock Park this weekend, the group will also be targeting a fourth win on the season as many of Longhi’s hometown family and friends will be in attendance.
“Lime Rock has been a special track for this team, and there would be nothing better than to have a big result this weekend,” said Longhi, who resides in nearby Nyack, New York. “Being so close to home, having the finale at this track is great for me and I’m looking forward to Saturday in a very big way.”
It will be a very quick weekend for Rum Bum Racing with just the one practice session scheduled ahead of qualifying which is set to begin at 1:55 PM (ET). The 2.5-hour GS race will take place Saturday at 9:50 AM (ET).
Live timing and scoring is available throughout the weekend at www.grand-am.com.
FOX Sports 1 will televise the event Sunday, October 6 at 5:00 PM (ET).
