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GRAND-AM
GRAND-AM: Rum Bum Wins CTSCC GS At Lime Rock
Rum Bum Racing locks team championship with race win, Empringham and Farano score drivers title...
Rum Bum Racing scored its fifth CTSCC GS class victory of the year at Lime Rock. (Photo: Wes Duenkel)
Rum Bum Racing scored the team’s fifth GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race win of the year to lock in GS Class Team Championship honors on Saturday as Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi successfully defended their 2011 Lime Rock Park race win.
Plumb had also appeared to win the Driver Championship with the victory, but a post-race ruling will see David Empringham and John Farano claiming the Driver Championship honors after GRAND-AM ruled that Plumb was ineligible for driver points.
Longhi opened the race from pole and led the opening 21 laps before pitting to hand the controls over to Plumb. Laguna Seca round race winner Matt Bell assumed the lead and held the point for 24 laps as the drivers relished the first fully dry running of the weekend.
The closing stages of the race saw the two championship combatants battling for the win as Empringham restarted behind Plumb with just over 30 laps to go. Plumb held the point and grew his advantage over the field, while a series of rivals dislodged Empringham from the podium positions, and with each pass, cost him a shot at winning the driver championship with fellow Canadian co-driver Farano as "Emp" came home sixth.
As the checkered flag fell, Plumb celebrated what he thought would be both the Driver and Team Championship honors.
“What a great effort!” exclaimed Plumb from Victory Lane. “Luis Bacardi and Jennifer Bacardi-- I'm sorry you're not here to see this moment but they've definitely made all of our dreams come true with this championship. There have been ups and downs but this team is always there and is always doing the right thing. They're always prepared and keep moving forward. Thanks to my co-driver Nick and also the boys that helped us in the 3 car today. Thanks to Joe Varde, Continental Tire, and AST shocks. This is epic.”
Longhi had turned the controls on the Porsche 911 over to Plumb before lapping long enough to be eligible for driver points, but was less concerned about his own fortunes than what the team had accomplished.
“This is a team effort,” said Longhi. “Matt and I have been friends a very long time. This is a true team sport. I’m so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Bacardi has created. I also want to thank the efforts of the BGB team. David Empringham-- we've been friends for 20 years. John Farano did a fantastic job. It was so exciting, coming down to the wire the last few laps of the championship. It does not get any closer than this. Fantastic!”
After the post-race ruling, the drivers of the No. 83 were happy to win but acknowledged that the on-track results hadn’t been what they were hoping for.
“Championships are always hard to get and certainly John and I and our team worked really hard all year,” Empringham said. “With three laps to go in the race, I knew I only had to be third and I had a bit of a wounded car and thought we could hang on, but we didn’t. Through a technicality, I guess you could say we’ve been handed it. I’m sure down the road I’ll be happy, but it’s kind of a strange situation.”
After the race, GRAND-AM issued the following rules clarification:
"Matt Plumb did not earn driver points for his GS race victory at Lime Rock. Rule 5.2 states: “A Driver may drive in 2 cars in the same class provided he qualifies and starts 1 of the cars. This is the only car in which the Driver will earn points.”
Plumb was entered in both the No. 13 Porsche and the No. 3 BMW, but did not start either car. As a result, John Farano and David Empringham won the 2012 GS championship. Rum Bum is exploring options for a review of the decision.
RESULTS: Click Here
With experience at Skip Barber Racing School, Lime Rock Park, and several IndyCar teams, Matt Cleary has covered open wheel and sports car racing for over a decade. Working for Sunday Group Management, Cleary also provides strategic motorsports consulting for a range of clients in the sport. You can follow him on Twitter @sundaygroup
Plumb had also appeared to win the Driver Championship with the victory, but a post-race ruling will see David Empringham and John Farano claiming the Driver Championship honors after GRAND-AM ruled that Plumb was ineligible for driver points.
Longhi opened the race from pole and led the opening 21 laps before pitting to hand the controls over to Plumb. Laguna Seca round race winner Matt Bell assumed the lead and held the point for 24 laps as the drivers relished the first fully dry running of the weekend.
The closing stages of the race saw the two championship combatants battling for the win as Empringham restarted behind Plumb with just over 30 laps to go. Plumb held the point and grew his advantage over the field, while a series of rivals dislodged Empringham from the podium positions, and with each pass, cost him a shot at winning the driver championship with fellow Canadian co-driver Farano as "Emp" came home sixth.
As the checkered flag fell, Plumb celebrated what he thought would be both the Driver and Team Championship honors.
“What a great effort!” exclaimed Plumb from Victory Lane. “Luis Bacardi and Jennifer Bacardi-- I'm sorry you're not here to see this moment but they've definitely made all of our dreams come true with this championship. There have been ups and downs but this team is always there and is always doing the right thing. They're always prepared and keep moving forward. Thanks to my co-driver Nick and also the boys that helped us in the 3 car today. Thanks to Joe Varde, Continental Tire, and AST shocks. This is epic.”
Longhi had turned the controls on the Porsche 911 over to Plumb before lapping long enough to be eligible for driver points, but was less concerned about his own fortunes than what the team had accomplished.
“This is a team effort,” said Longhi. “Matt and I have been friends a very long time. This is a true team sport. I’m so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Bacardi has created. I also want to thank the efforts of the BGB team. David Empringham-- we've been friends for 20 years. John Farano did a fantastic job. It was so exciting, coming down to the wire the last few laps of the championship. It does not get any closer than this. Fantastic!”
After the post-race ruling, the drivers of the No. 83 were happy to win but acknowledged that the on-track results hadn’t been what they were hoping for.
“Championships are always hard to get and certainly John and I and our team worked really hard all year,” Empringham said. “With three laps to go in the race, I knew I only had to be third and I had a bit of a wounded car and thought we could hang on, but we didn’t. Through a technicality, I guess you could say we’ve been handed it. I’m sure down the road I’ll be happy, but it’s kind of a strange situation.”
After the race, GRAND-AM issued the following rules clarification:
"Matt Plumb did not earn driver points for his GS race victory at Lime Rock. Rule 5.2 states: “A Driver may drive in 2 cars in the same class provided he qualifies and starts 1 of the cars. This is the only car in which the Driver will earn points.”
Plumb was entered in both the No. 13 Porsche and the No. 3 BMW, but did not start either car. As a result, John Farano and David Empringham won the 2012 GS championship. Rum Bum is exploring options for a review of the decision.
RESULTS: Click Here
With experience at Skip Barber Racing School, Lime Rock Park, and several IndyCar teams, Matt Cleary has covered open wheel and sports car racing for over a decade. Working for Sunday Group Management, Cleary also provides strategic motorsports consulting for a range of clients in the sport. You can follow him on Twitter @sundaygroup
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