Rum Bum Racing’s Top-11 of 2011
December 30, 2011 Leave a comment
Rum Bum Racing’s Top-11 of 2011
30 December, 2011–As the last days of 2011 click away and everyone looks ahead to what 2012 will bring, it is a good time to take a quick look back at the accomplishments of Rum Bum Racing in 2011. It was hard to narrow down the list, but here are the “Top 11 of 11” for Rum Bum Racing. See you at Daytona in 2012!
1. Daytona Double – After winning the final two GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races of 2010, Rum Bum Racing burst back into its winning ways at the 2011 season opener at Daytona. Nick Longhi put the No. 13 BMW on the pole and along with Matt Plumb, returned to victory lane at the World Center of Racing for the second consecutive year.
2. Home Sweet Homestead – Rum Bum Racing scored its second pole of the season when the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series traveled to the team’s home track of Homestead-Miami Speedway for Round 2. Nick Longhi turned a quick lap of 1:25.994 seconds during the 15-minute qualifying session with a speed of 96.285 MPH to claim the top starting spot for the second race in a row.
3. Victory at Lime Rock – When the Rum Bum squad scored its second win of the season at Lime Rock Park, the victory was extra special for the team. Following a massive crash in the previous round at VIR, Rum Bum Racing worked around the clock to have the No. 13 BMW back in prime condition in time for the Lime Rock Park event. The effort was well-rewarded when Nick Longhi put the No. 13 machine third on the grid and he and Matt Plumb dominated the race as the duo led 79 laps en route to the win.
4. Return to Road America – The GRAND-AM series returned to historic Road America for the first time in 10 years, but Rum Bum Racing wasted no time getting up to speed in the No. 13 BMW. Nick Longhi earned the team’s third pole of the season with a time of 2:24.547 seconds around the 4.048-mile track and drove to a third place finish along with Matt Plumb to give the team its third podium of the year.
5. Winning at Mid-Ohio – Rum Bum Racing once again bookended the season with wins when the No. 13 was the first to cross the finish line at Mid-Ohio. For the second consecutive year, Rum Bum Racing took a trip to victory lane in the opening round and then returned to the top-step of the podium in the season-finale. The victory marked the team’s third win of the season.
6. Championship Contender – Throughout the entire 2011 season, Rum Bum Racing remained in contention for the championship title. Never falling outside of the top-five in the team standings, Rum Bum Racing’s solid results kept the team in the championship fight until the season-finale race at Mid-Ohio. Despite leading laps and winning the Mid-Ohio event, Rum Bum Racing ultimately claimed third in the championship – a mere 14 points shy of the title.
7. Most Points Delivered for BMW – With three wins, three poles, five podiums, and seven top-five results to the team’s credit, Rum Bum Racing helped BMW to clinch the Manufacturer’s championship for the second consecutive year by scoring more points than any other BMW team with a total of 135 of the 328 points earned for BMW.
8. No. 13 At The Front – Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb set their sights on the front of the field and became quite familiar with the leading position as the No. 13 BMW led laps in six of 10 races for a total of 138 laps led.
9. BMW Power Pays Off – Rum Bum Racing spent most of its time at the front of the field, but even when the No. 13 was not pacing the field, the reliability of the BMW showed itself with the Rum Bum Racing machine completing 739 of 758 laps for a percentage of 97.5% laps completed.
10. Top of the Charts – The Rum Bum Racing BMW had a stellar season with Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb claiming a top-five position in seven of 10 races. The team finished outside of the top-10 in just two events.
11. Strong Starts – In 10 race starts, the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW showed its speed in each qualifying session and started among the top-five in eight events – highlighted with pole positions at Daytona, Homestead, and Road America.
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Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
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http://www.sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)
Based in Indianapolis, Sunday Group Management is a leading motorsports management and communications consulting firm.
Sunday Group Management works with clients in a variety of motorsports categories, including NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger, Riley Technologies, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series organization Michael Shank Racing, Continental Tire, and several teams and drivers in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition.
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