SCC: Trois-Rivieres: Rum Bum Racing qualifying report

Front Row Start for Rum Bum Racing in Trois Rivieres

Trois Rivieres, QUE-13 August 2010 - Rum Bum Racing got the 41st annual Grand Prix du Trois Rivieres off to a quick start on Friday as driver Nick Longhi posted a fast lap time of 1:11.397-seconds around the 1.51-mile street circuit to net a front row starting position for Friday nights' GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race.

The event is the Canadian debut for Rum Bum Racing, which scored a victory to open the 2010 season and arrives in Quebec carrying the momentum of a run to the podium with second place in the previous round. Friday's 15-minute qualifying session presaged the 7:00 PM race start as the series stages its first-ever night race.

Longhi will open the two-hour sprint event from behind the wheel of the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3 before turning the machine over to co-driver Matt Plumb, who already has one Trois Rivieres podium finish to his credit.

"We had a problem in pit lane (where another car pulled into the path of several others and caused damage), but after that, the session was very good," said Longhi. "Joe (Varde, Crew Chief) told me to let the line of cars go by to get a clear bit of track but I didn't do it quickly enough so I had traffic every time. It was my fault--I just kept leaving a gap and then catching back up to traffic, lap after lap. Then there were just two minutes left so I just did as well as I could with the traffic that was right there. The car is great, though and we should be in good shape in the race tonight."

-source: rum bum racing