B+ Racing fourth in Sports Car Challenge points after Indianapolis

Al Carter and Hugh Plumb came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last Friday with the goal of scoring a podium finish and consolidating their top-three ranking in the driver and team point standings. Everything started well for the #45 SceneTap B+ Foundation - Jetset Magazine sponsored BMW but did not end as planned for Al and Hugh. The Fall-Line Motorsports duo finished 27th after a tough race and the #45 team went from 3rd to 4th in the 2012 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge team point standings.

#45 Fall-Line Motorsports BMW M3 Al Carter Hugh Plumb

Photo by: PhotoJo Motorsports Photography

The Brickyard Sports Car Challenge week began on a very good note with the introduction of a new co-primary sponsor, SceneTap on Monday followed by a visit by Al Carter and Hugh Plumb of the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St Vincent in Indianapolis on Thursday. The B+ Foundation had organized a tour of the oncology department and the hospital welcomed the two drivers with open arms which helped the drivers to put a smile on the kids faces.

The inaugural Brickyard Sports Car Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a one day event due to the fact that four series (Continental Tire, Rolex Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup) were racing at the famous Brickyard that same weekend.

On Friday morning during the one hour session Al Carter rapidly showed what his #45 SceneTap - B+ Foundation - Jetset Magazine Fall-Line BMW was capable of. Al qualified 4th for the afternoon race. This was the fastest qualifying performance of all BMW cars entered in the GS class.

The Indianapolis race was the 8th round of the 2012 championship. Carter and Plumb like many other Continental Tire series drivers had expectations to cross the finish line first and be the first drivers to kiss the bricks at an endurance racing event at the Brickyard. Al Carter took a fantastic start and went from 4th to 2nd in only two laps but on lap 6 while running 3rd, the #45 car got hit by an ST car forcing Al to spin. Due to the toe link damage on the front left he had to stop in the pits to repair. Al was able to restart after losing three laps but the #45 car was forced to retire a little later after a driveline failure. Hugh Plumb did not get to drive and was not able to score points.

It is of course a disappointment for Carter and Plumb, but with two races to go they know that their luck will return and the #45 SceneTap - B+ Foundation - Jetset Magazine BMW should shine again soon in California and Connecticut in September.

Their championship winning ambition has been dramatically reduced to null and with two races to go at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Lime Rock, it looks like Al Carter and Hugh Plumb will have to finish in the top three at both races to retain some 2012 championship podium chances. Finishing on the race podium is something that both Carter and Plumb and their Fall-Line team have achieved many times before and with the motivation of the two drivers and the quality of their equipment, it should be an achievable goal.

After eight of ten races, the 45 Fall-Line team is now ranked 4th. Al Carter is now ranked 4th in the 2012 driver championship point standings and Hugh Plumb is fifth because he did not score points at Indy.

Source: B+ Racing