Sunday Group Management

Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb Looking for Strong Home Run in Virginia at VIR

Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb Looking for Strong Home Run in Virginia at VIR

TV Info: SPEED, May 22, 1:00 PM ET
Rum Bum Racing Championship Spotlight: GS Team Championship: P3, 85 points
VIR Rewind-2010: Finish P 3 (M. Plumb, G. Bacardi)

10 May 2011 (Danville, VA) – With a race season that stretches across the country from Florida to California, Rum Bum Racing will hit a lot of great locations this year as the team targets the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Championship with the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3.

But of all the events on the schedule, this Saturday’s Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway is one that Rum Bum Racing driver Matt Plumb is particularly looking forward to as the Virginia native heads back to his home state.

Plumb, who grew up in Bluemont (just over an hour outside of Washington, D.C.) before heading down the road to pursue his degree at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, is relishing the chance to make up some championship ground this weekend as he gets the chance to race in Virginia once again.
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Team E signs Mitchell for Freedom 100

Rusty Mitchell will return to Team E for the Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Texan will make his second career series start with Team E seeking to build on a solid debut outing on the streets of Long Beach, where he finished 11th.

“I’m very excited and thankful for the opportunity to be able to run at Indy,” said Mitchell. “It has always been a huge goal and dream of mine since I started racing karts as a kid. I know Team E has been very quick on ovals in the past, and I have no doubt we will continue that tradition. Once again I can’t thank Motorola and Petro Communications enough they have been partners and sponsors of mine for a long time, and without them I wouldn’t be able to have this great opportunity. I also want to thank Team E for their tireless effort and support of me throughout this season.”

Mitchell, who has raced ovals in Star Mazda and never finished outside of the top-10 in his four career oval, tested with the team at Chicagoland Speedway and will turn his first laps around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 13. Team E owner Neil Enerson hopes his team’s success on ovals will help Mitchell have a success Firestone Indy Lights oval debut.

“Team E is looking forward to Rusty Mitchell running his first Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Enerson. “There is nothing like Indy. The experience Rusty is gaining this year is invaluable. He has taken on a lot in his second rookie race, but he continues to shown his maturity and we are confident he will have a good result.”

Burrows and Hopwood Eager for Return to VIR

Burrows and Hopwood Eager for Return to VIR

Bosch Engineering 250, Round 4/10, 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge
Virginia International Raceway, Danville, VA
TV: SPEED, May 22, 1:00 PM ET

Burrows+Hopwood highlight reel, Virginia International Raceway:
2007: 3rd (GRAND-AM Championship Clinch)
2008: 2nd
2010: 7th

Danville, VA (10 May, 2011)– After posting the duo’s best finish of the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season to date with a run to 10th in the No. 12 Infinity Audio Kia Koup at Barber Motorsports Park, Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood are eager to get back to work this weekend for round four and the Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR.

The track, which is generally regarded as one of the most challenging and rewarding on the GRAND-AM schedule, has been the scene for several impressive drives and fond memories for Burrows and Hopwood.

The duo netted a record-setting podium appearance to clinch the 2007 championship at the track, and returned the following year to score second in the season-ending enduro event. Last season, the VIR race saw the duo score their debut top-10 result for Kia with a run to seventh at the 3.27-mile track.
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Interesting from Mercedes…107% times

(For this weekend’s Turkish GP)

107% Sample Times

1:26.000 – 1:32.020 1:27.000 – 1:33.090

1:28.000 – 1:34.160 1:29.000 – 1:35.230

1:30.000 – 1:36.300 1:31.000 – 1:37.370

1:32.000 – 1:38.440 1:33.000 – 1:39.510

GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Attracts Large Audience on SPEED

Competition, talent on both sides of camera help GRAND-AM Series outdraw open-wheel audience

Indianapolis, IN The GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) championship has long been touted as one of the most competitive sports car categories on offer. And some recent viewership figures seem to show that race fans have taken notice by tuning in.

The CTSCC championship is staged on a ten race schedule that stretches from Florida to California to Wisconsin. The races, which run as part of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series event weekends, are dual-class events as the top Grand Sports (GS) entries run for overall honors, as the Street Tuner (ST) racers target class victories and contest a separate championship.

The fields, which swell to up to nearly 80 machines, are comprised of production-based racers that bring a familiar look race fans as the machines all once started life on a dealership floor somewhere.

During the most recent SPEED telecast, the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race boasted an average viewership of 380,000, marking a 72% increase from 2010’s broadcast of the same event one year earlier according to Nielsen.
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Video goodnes-All new McLaren MP4-12C GT3 2011

AIM Autosport’s GAMMA88 Car to Promote Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR

gamma88outfront

GRAND AM Daytona Prototype on Display During Richmond NASCAR Event

Woodbridge, Ont. (April 28, 2011) — Racing fans attending this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond, Va., will have the opportunity to see AIM Autosport’s BMW-Riley sponsored by GAMMA88. The Daytona Prototype which races in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will be included in a display promoting the upcoming race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). The GAMMA88 machine, which is co-driven by Burt Frisselle (US) and Mark Wilkins (CA), will look to break through for a podium finish after scoring consecutive 4th place finishes in the two most recent rounds of Rolex Sports Car Series competition.

The display will be located in the VIBE (Virginia Industry Business Expo) area, near the Pit Stop Club, open on Saturday from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm. Along with the race car, GAMMA88’s spokesmodels will be present to answer questions, distribute brochures and pose for photographs. Those who stop by the display will be offered a code for $10 off the price of a weekend pass to the Bosch Engineering 250, May 13–14 at VIR.
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Jaguar 50th…Autoweek looks at E-type

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1

SUN DROP CITRUS SODA DESIGNATED AS CO-PRIMARY SPONSOR OF HUNTER-REAY’S EFFORT FOR REMAINDER OF 2011 SEASON

NAUTICA TEAMS UP WITH RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS IN RICHMOND

CONCORD, N.C. (April 26, 2011) – Nautica, a part of VF Corporation and a leader in branded quality apparel, will serve as primary sponsor of Richard Petty Motorsports’ famed No. 43 Ford Fusion for Saturday evening’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

“We feel good that an organization as well known as Nautica has decided to showcase its brand on the No. 43 Ford,” said team owner Richard Petty. “We welcome them to the RPM family and look forward to showing them everything the sport has to offer this weekend in Richmond. The No. 43 team has shown great promise this season and AJ is a force to be reckoned with every week. We’re excited to have Nautica here this weekend and we think NASCAR’s legions of fans will be enthusiastic as well.”
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