3rd Time’s a Charm for Ruman at Trans-Am HARRAH’s Autobahn Grand Prix
For Immediate Release: August 4, 2010
Contact: Amy Ruman 330.813.2323 cell
Munroe Falls, OH – Amy Ruman’s Trans-Am podium finishes are starting to rack up this season. She settled into her familiar podium position of 3rd this past weekend in the HARRAH’S Autobahn Grand Prix presented by MAZDA for Round 7 in the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Championship Series.
In Ruman’s first time running the 19 turn, 3.56 mile circuit located at the Joliet, Illinois Autobahn Country Club facility, she qualified the #23 McNichols Co./Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette in position 4 on the grid. Ruman was coming off two previous 3rd place finishes at the Honda Indy Streets of Toronto and Road America Trans-Am races.
The 10 car field took the green flag on a very hot and humid Sunday afternoon for the 26 lap race. The start was exciting as the drivers received a late green flag, nearly at the start/finish line of the starters stand. The front two rows mixed it up heading into turn 1, when Cliff Ebben (P5) made an inside move on Ruman to try for a pass, he overshot the turn and Ruman passed him back exiting the corner. For the first lap it was Ave, Lopez, Drissi, and Ruman bumper to bumper. On lap 2 Drissi had a mechanical problem sending him off course into tire barrier on the exit of the turn 3 and Ruman moved into the third spot. The top three running order would not change despite a last lap effort from Lopez, and the trio of Ave, Lopez, and Ruman found themselves standing on the podium together again.
“What can I say, three times is a charm,” exclaimed Ruman. “I just tried to maintain my race pace as usual. I had a good car, but we couldn’t quite get to the lead this weekend. At first, I was running pretty close to Ave and Lopez and then I just faded a little bit. This track is really bumpy and it was incredibly hot. I tried to just maintain. If you look at my lap times, you can’t get any more consistent lap times than I had in that race.”
“I’m proud of my team. I’m proud of the McNichols Corvette and once again we are on podium. We’ve run four Trans-Am races this year and we got three podiums–three thirds–I can’t complain and I’m happy about that. I want to thank my parents, team, and sponsors–McNichols and Goodyear. Race after race, these Goodyear tires hold up for me.”
With this finish, Ruman has now moved into the fifth slot of the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Championship driver standings. The team is not scheduled to run the next Trans-Am race Labor Day weekend at Brainerd, MN, but will rejoin the series in September at Virginia International Raceway (VIR).
Ruman’s primary sponsor, McNichols Co., is headquartered in Tampa, FL, and is the largest U.S. distributor of “Hole” products with service centers across North America. McNichols’ product selection is the most diverse in the industry. McNichols stocks perforated products, both metal and plastic. A toll free number 800-237-3820 connects you to the McNichols Co. distributor in your area and the company’s extensive website, www.mcnichols.com, has online customer service and online ordering.
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UPCOMING RACES:
Sept 10-12 – Amy Ruman in Round 9 SCCA Pro-Racing Trans-Am Series, Virgina International Raceway, VA