Rum Bum Racing leads CTSCC championship to Indianapolis

Orlando, Fla. – As the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series (CTSCC) kicks off its final five-race stretch of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, Rum Bum Racing leads the championship with an 18-point margin and looks to defend its 2012 championship title with an even stronger close to the season.

Luis Bacardi’s team has two race wins to its credit this year, but consistency has also been key to Rum Bum’s championship contending ways.

GS Winners: #13 Rum Bum Racing, Matt Plumb, Nick Longhi

Photo by: Jay Alley

Drivers Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb have led laps in every race this year, have finished among the top-10 in each race, and they’ve enjoyed champagne showers in four of the first six races. The Rum Bum Racing group will aim to continue this positive trend as the CTSCC stages Round 7 of the championship with the Brickyard Sports Car Challenge on Friday.

Last year, the team’s chance to kiss the famous bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway came to an abrupt halt when the No. 13 Rum Bum Porsche received hard contact from the No. 55 of Scott Maxwell in the final stages of the race. Plumb, who was behind the wheel of the Porsche at the time, was able to keep going but the car had sustained significant damage and Rum Bum Racing had to settle for a 12th place finish.

“The racing was so close and hard last year at Indy,” said Plumb, who became the winningest driver in CTSCC history when he claimed his 15th-career overall victory at Mid-Ohio. “We had a car that could have finished on the podium but unfortunately we were taken out so the results didn’t show it.

It’s such a privilege to be a part of the SuperWeekend event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway because it has so much history and heritage behind it. I’m sure it’s going to be just as busy as last year with so many cars out there, so for us it’s just going to be about keeping the car clean and toward the front and scoring points. This championship fight is so close right now, we just need to make sure we do everything right in order to maintain our lead.”

The 2.534-mile, 13-turn road course is one of the most iconic tracks on the 2013 calendar, and the team and drivers are eager to return to race action.

“It’s an honor to race at such a historic and prestigious track,” echoed Longhi. “This team is amazing, and we’d obviously like nothing more than for Rum Bum to be the ones kissing the famous bricks on Friday. But our main goal has always been to win the championship and here especially, we have to be mindful of the points at stake and think of the bigger picture to make the most out of the weekend.”

The two-day race event opens on Thursday, July 25 with two practice sessions ahead of a 15-minute qualifying session at 3:45 PM (ET). The 2.5-hour Brickyard Sports Car Challenge will begin Friday, July 26 at 2:00 PM (ET).