October 11, 2006 – Published Wednesday, October 11, 2006
The Topeka Capital-Journal
Front page of the Sports page print and online editions
Ohio woman is front runner
By Rick Peterson
The Capital-Journal
Amy Ruman wants to be special because she runs fast, not because she happens to be a woman.
“Most everybody’s accepting, and I think they like me,” Ruman said about being a woman in a male-dominated sport. “I think society places that tag on you, but if you talk to any woman racers they usually aren’t bothered by it. It’s never really bothered me.
“I just always drive the car and try to learn from other people. If they’re faster than me, I follow them and try to pick up tricks from fast people. I just try to learn from everybody, whether it’s male or female, it doesn’t really matter to me.
“I think at a certain point you prove yourself to people, and if you can run fast, then you’re fast.”
Ruman, a 32-year-old veteran racer out of Kent, Ohio, is fast.
Ruman started up front in Sunday’s Trans-Am series event and ran among the top three for most of the race before eventually finishing fourth in a field that included many of that series’ top pros, including five-time series champ Paul Gentilozzi and Sunday’s race winner, Jorge Diaz Jr.
“I think we had a really good race,” Ruman said. “I was a little disappointed to lose out on third, but I think overall we had a pretty good car.
“I was pleased that we were able to keep up with Paul for five or six laps. I was right there and I thought we had a good car at the beginning of the race.”
Ruman also is off to a solid start in the Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs, nailing down the No. 5 spot in the Grand Touring 1 class after the first of four qualifying runs.
Ruman has placed fifth, ninth and sixth in previous Runoffs and is eyeing a podium finish this week.
“This year I’m hoping to be top three for sure,” said Ruman, who has been racing since she was 18. “Every year we hope for that, but I think we’ve got a good shot at it.”
Ruman is happy in the GT 1 class but envisions herself in Trans-Am if that series runs a full schedule in 2007.
“I’ve always wanted to run Trans-Am,” she said. “Last year I ran one Trans-Am race at Cleveland and then this year when they added the two races (at HPT), I wound up doing those. My dad (Bob) was actually scheduled to run the first one here but he became ill that day, so he put me in the car at the last minute.
“I think next year, if they bring the series back like we’re all hoping for, I definitely think you could see one of us if not both back. We’ve talked about splitting the season up or just me running. I don’t know if my dad’s ready to give up the reins quite yet, but that’s what I ultimately want to do.”
Regardless of where she competes, Ruman knows that people will be watching “because you’re a woman and you’re a minority.” But she quit worrying about that fact a long time ago.
“I think if it was like half and half people wouldn’t put that much emphasis on it, but if you’re fast and you’re a woman you get more notice,” she said.
The key though is being fast.
“If I wasn’t fast you wouldn’t be sitting her talking to me today,” Ruman said. “If you can run at the front, then you’re respected enough to run at the front.”
Submitted/ Mark Weber Photos
Amy Ruman, in car No. 23, was the pole sitter in Sunday’s Trans-Am race and is one of the leading qualifiers in Grand Touring 1.
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