RUMAN RACING

Drive.Race.Win. - Together

2015 Trans Am Champion Amy Ruman Back in the No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette to Defend Title in 2016

by Filed Under: Press Releases

Munroe Falls, Ohio – After winning the final three races of the season and clinching the 2015 Trans Am Championship at Daytona International Speedway last November, Amy Ruman and the Ruman Racing team will be back in action after a short winter break.  The season opener is scheduled for March 5th at Sebring International Raceway in Florida, kicking off the 50th Anniversary year for the Series.  Ruman returns to the series to defend her 2015 Title in hopes of a repeat performance.

Ruman will hit the track hoping to continue the hot streak she’s had – a win at Sebring it would make it four in a row.  She will have a battle on her hands on the 3.7-mile road course, as 23 TA class entries are slated for the season opener.  In 2016, the TA class will once again run the multi-class format featuring a joint race with the TA/TA3/TA4/TA5 classes for a total of 43 entries and the TA2 class, powered by AEM, will run an exclusive race with 35 entries.

“I can’t wait to get back out there and pick up where we left off,” commented Ruman.  “It will be hard to top the outstanding season we had last year, winning eight times and taking the Championship, but I am up for the challenge! My stellar crew, Dave Skinner, Mike Edmunds, Bryan Salchak, Eric Conley, and Jerry Waltenberger will be back again this year and have been working diligently in the off season making sure the car is good to go. My Dad, Bob Ruman, has been overseeing the preparation for the upcoming season and he will be back heading up data and engineering for the effort.”

Ruman and team are thrilled to announce their continued partnership with McNICHOLS CO., an Industrial and Architectural Hole Product Solutions company, for the 16th consecutive year.  “We are very proud of Amy and the Ruman Racing team’s accomplishments throughout the years, especially winning the 2015 TA Title.  We are pleased to return for another year of exciting Trans Am racing and are honored to have Ruman carry the McNichols brand on the No.23 Corvette once again,” exclaimed Steven McNichols, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at McNichols Co.

“I am so blessed and grateful to have McNichols Co. on board for another year! Their unwavering support for our team is just amazing.  I am proud to be an ambassador for the Hole Story team and I’m looking forward to another successful season and a repeat performance of last year,” remarked Ruman.

Almost 50 years ago on March 25, 1966, a field of 44 cars ran the Sebring 4 hour race at Sebring International Raceway which was billed as the Trans American Sedan Championship en route to what eventually became the Trans Am Series.  Today, 79 entries are slated for the two races on March 5th. The weekend will run in conjunction with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), who will be featuring SVRA races and events as well as the Historic Trans Am Series, containing the authentic legendary machines that have come to represent the Trans Am legacy.

SVRA will also host a panel discussion moderated by auto racing author and journalist Rich Taylor on March 5th, in which past Trans Am legendary drivers will participate, along with current Trans Am Series Champion Amy Ruman.  Joining Ruman will be legends of previous eras including George Follmer, Lyn St. James, Willy T. Ribbs and David Hobbs to help celebrate SVRA’s salute to the 50th anniversary of the Series.  Bob Tullius, a winner at that first Trans-Am race at Sebring in 1966, will be on hand as the weekend’s grand marshal.

Sebring – Trans Am Round 1 event schedule:

Thursday March 3, 2016

Promoter’s Test Day

Friday March 4, 2016

11:25 AM – 11:55 AM – TA2 Practice
11:55 AM – 12:25 PM – TA/TA3/TA4/TA5 Practice
4:55 PM – 5:15 PM – TA2 “One Shot” Qualifying
5:15 PM – 5:35 PM – TA “One Shot” Qualifying
5:35 PM – 5:55 PM – TA3/TA4/TA5 “One Shot” Qualifying

Saturday March 5, 2016

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM – TA2 Race (100.98, 27 laps or 65 minutes)
4:50 PM – 6:00 PM – TA/TA3/TA4/TA5 Race (100.98, 27 laps or 65 minutes)

Visit gotransam.com for tickets, full schedule, and all other weekend information.

Sponsors:  McNICHOLS CO. is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials–stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 mcnichols.com.

For quick news and updates during race weekends, please follow Ruman Racing and the Trans Am Series on Twitter: @rumanracing and @gotransam. Be sure to “Like” our official pages on Facebook: Ruman Racing, Amy Ruman (Official Fan Page), McNichols Company, and Go Trans Am.

Race jInfo/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com     Live Timing/Twitter Feed: www.gotransam.com/live-timing-and-scoring/

Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

History Made: Amy Ruman Crowned 2015 Trans Am Champion – Captures 8th Win of the Season at Daytona Finale

by Filed Under: Press Releases

Daytona, FL – It was set to be a history making weekend for the Ruman Racing Team – and history was made for the second time at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida, in the final round of the 2015 Trans Am Championship season.  Amy Ruman was victorious once again at the iconic Florida track, capturing back-to-back Daytona wins in the Bullet Liner 100 and securing her first Trans Am Championship title.

Ruman put an exclamation point on her dream season by taking home her eighth win after starting second on the grid for Saturday’s race.  Ruman only needed to take the green flag in order to secure the coveted TA class Trans Am Championship.  When she could’ve taken it easy and cruised to a finish, Ruman never let up in her No. 23 McNichols/Don Sitts Auto Chevrolet Corvette.  After several lead changes among the top five, Ruman charged past former TA Champion Doug Peterson with six laps to go and never looked back.

The Ohio based Ruman Racing team has competed in the Trans Am Series for nearly 20 years, fielding Ruman’s father Bob before Amy.  Ruman’s name is now included on the sought-after list of Trans Am Champions, making her mark in the 49th year of the Series’ history as the first female Champion.  In her pursuit of the Championship, Ruman brought her overall Trans Am win total to thirteen, securing eight wins this season alone.  Ruman also became the first woman to capture a professional road racing title, adding to her long list of firsts.

“It’s an amazing feeling; I feel so blessed,” said Ruman. “I’m so excited for my team and my parents—my mom and dad who have been at this for so long. Most of the guys on our team have been with us the whole time—nearly 20 years of Trans Am Racing. We’ve had McNichols onboard all these years, and this team together for so long…to finally bring it home after everything is just awesome.”

“I think finally it all just gelled and came together. We have a really well-prepared car. We switched to PME motors; they’ve been strong for us all year and that was a great move. My dad has dialed in the setup on the car; we’ve had it for three or four years now. I think finally all the pieces of the puzzle came together, and we had a really good year. I drove smart and we were there at the end when we needed to be. We had some absolutely dominant wins and some where we had to come from the back a few times. There was a little bit of everything, but it was just a fantastic year for us.”

After being asked about adding her name next to former Champions like Mark Donohue, Tommy Kendall, and Dorsey Schroeder, she remained humble.

“You know,” Ruman said, “I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. It’s a great list of names to be included with, the female aspect, being the first—it’s always fun to be the first at anything and to be amongst those drivers’ names is just a blessing.”

A number of top management from McNichols Company as well as many family members were in attendance this weekend to watch the Championship winning race at Daytona.

“I am filled with triple excitement and joy for our family, personally and professionally,” said McNichols Company Chairman and CEO Gene McNichols, “I am especially proud of Amy, the Ruman Racing Team and the McNichols Company and each of their roles in this celebrated event. The Championship title is not only an historical event for Ruman, it is a win for the entire team, including the dedicated Ruman Racing crew.  Amy has a crew of outstanding team members who have worked hard over the years to reach the top of their sport, and McNichols is proud to play a part in her record-breaking victory.”

Ruman finished the year with 345 points over Paul Fix’s 311, with John Baucom taking third place in the final tally in the race for the 3-Dimensional Services Trigon Trophy Championship.

Don’t forget to tune in and catch all the exciting action from the Bullet Liner 100 Championship weekend! The race will air on CBS Sports Network Sunday, December 6th, at 1:00pm ET.

Sponsors:  McNICHOLS CO. is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials–stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 mcnichols.com.

Don Sitts Auto Sales, Inc. is a family owned and operated dealership in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Stop in for all your vehicle needs, over 200 cars in stock – for more info and inventory list, visit DonSitts.com.

For quick news and updates during race weekends, please follow Ruman Racing and the Trans Am Series on Twitter: @rumanracing and @gotransam. Be sure to “Like” our official pages on Facebook: Ruman Racing, Amy Ruman (Official Fan Page), McNichols Company, and Go Trans Am.

Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com  Live Timing/Twitter Feed: www.gotransam.com/live-timing-and-scoring/

Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

Ruman Nails 7th Win at Circuit of the Americas – Takes Commanding Lead in Points Race Heading into Daytona Finale

by Filed Under: Press Releases

Austin, Texas – It was a Texas sized weekend for the Trans Am Series and it was Ruman who had a Texas sized win late Saturday evening at the Circuit of the America’s (COTA) course.  Ruman garnered her 7th win on the season and gained valuable Championship points heading into the final round.

The inaugural Trans Am Series race at COTA was set to be a big battle between Ruman and Fix, who were only separated by 11 points heading into Round 11.  The rain held off for most of the weekend, until race day Saturday morning.  It was a very cool, windy 57°, skies eventually remained cloudy and the track started to dry for the 4:15pm CT race.

Ruman did not have the qualifying session she hoped for and put the No. 23 McNichols/Don Sitts Auto Chevrolet Corvette 5th on the grid for the start of the race as competitor Fix secured the pole position.  However, the start of the race proved to be strong for Ruman as she immediately jolted up to 2nd place by the exit of turn one.  She then went to work, keeping close pace with Fix who was running in first.  The one-two pair ran out in front of the pack for a dozen laps. Ruman took over the lead as Fix suffered a mechanical failure on lap 12. After a series of cautions, Ruman and Ebben put on a true Trans Am showdown in the final laps of the race, with Ruman edging him out for the win on the final lap of the race.

“We had an excellent start to the race,” said Ruman. “We took them three wide into one, made up some ground and moved from fifth to second right off the bat. Then I was right with Paul the whole time; he was setting good lap times but so was I. I knew he was quicker in a couple spots, and then I was a little quicker in a couple spots. I just wanted to let the race come to me and be patient. After he (Paul) broke down, we went past him and set sail a little bit. We encountered a little engine problem—we broke a header and went down a cylinder. But we knew the yellow was coming so my main focus was to stay smart out there, try and get the win if possible, or stay on the podium— just get as many points as we could. Cliff got by me on the restart, then we had another yellow, and on another restart I made my move—we went side by side through the entirety of the esses and I finally passed him on the uphill. We went through probably five turns side by side; it was amazing. We didn’t touch each other—that’s what Trans Am Racing is all about. It’s won on the track, not off the track. We have respect for each other, and I couldn’t be more proud of my team. To God be the Glory on this one!”

With this win, Ruman (312) now has a 25 point lead over Fix (287), but Ruman still needs some valuable points this weekend at Daytona to ultimately wrap up her first Trans Am Championship. Ruman also received the Coolshirt Systems “Cool Move of the Race” for her final pass for the lead over Cliff Ebben on the last lap of the race.

“We needed this—we needed a points gap again,” said Ruman. “We’ve been struggling since the Mid-Ohio debacle, and this is what we needed to boost our points effort. But it’s not over yet; we’re going to go into Daytona and try our best and make it eight wins in 12 races.”

Ruman heads to Daytona as the defending race winner from last year’s season finale.  Last year’s win at Daytona also marked a place in the history books as she became the first woman to claim the overall victory in a professional automobile race at Daytona. Ruman looks to make history once more as she tries to become the first female Trans Am Champion.

“I can’t wait to get back on track at Daytona International Speedway.  It’s so awesome to race at such an iconic track,” exclaimed Ruman. “The Championship is not over yet, so I have to run smart and keep my eyes on the prize; as I’ve said all season long, we are in it to win it!”

The team completed an extremely quick turnaround on the car and headed 1,100 miles over to Daytona for the load in on Tuesday.  69 entries are set for the weekend and teams can participate in a promoter’s test day on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 and the official Trans Am weekend will start on Thursday November 12th. First practice session will be at 11:00 a.m. ET, then “Fast Five” qualifying for the 16-car TA class will be at 4:30pm, followed by TA2 and TA3. Friday will be the second official practice session at 12:30pm. The Bullet Liner 100, 103.24 mile, 29-lap final race of the 2015 Trans Am Championship will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.  Visit gotransam.com for ticket, full schedule, and all other weekend information.

Sponsors:  McNICHOLS CO. is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials–stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 mcnichols.com.

Don Sitts Auto Sales, Inc. is a family owned and operated dealership in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Stop in for all your vehicle needs, over 200 cars in stock – for more info and inventory list, visit DonSitts.com.

For quick news and updates during race weekends, please follow Ruman Racing and the Trans Am Series on Twitter: @rumanracing and @gotransam. Be sure to “Like” our official pages on Facebook: Ruman Racing, Amy Ruman (Official Fan Page), McNichols Company, and Go Trans Am.

Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com      Live Timing/Twitter Feed: www.gotransam.com/live-timing-and-scoring/

Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

COTA & Daytona Next on Ruman’s “Win” List in 2015 Trans Am Campaign for the Championship

by Filed Under: Press Releases

Munroe Falls, Ohio – The Southern swing continues for Amy Ruman and her team as they round out the 2015 season at the famous Formula 1 track, Circuit of the America’s (COTA), and then head over to Daytona International Speedway the following weekend for the Trans Am Series season finale.

The Trans Am Series will be competing for the first time at the COTA circuit, which is located in Austin, Texas and will be joining the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) for a weekend full of “Texas sized” fun and excitement.  COTA is an impressive 1,500 acre purpose built grand prix race complex.  The world-class track is 3.4 miles long, consists of 20 challenging turns, includes several dramatic natural elevation changes, and features a 133-foot climb up to an extremely tight turn 1.

Ruman is heading into Round 11 at COTA after capturing her sixth win of the 2015 season in New Orleans just a few short weeks ago.  Ruman, in her No. 23 McNichols/Don Sitts Auto Chevrolet Corvette, holds the Trans Am Championship lead by a narrow 11 point margin.  Ruman received a 3-point penalty deduction after the NOLA race for passing a lapped TA3 car under yellow flag conditions. The post-race penalty effort was brought on by a competitor who stood to gain from a Ruman penalty.

“The victory at NOLA was solid one. I’d raced hard with Tony Ave for most of the race and even though he’s not in points contention, it was tough, clean racing. While there was an unintentional minor infraction, it had nothing to do with the outcome of that race,” stated Ruman.  “I’m excited to move forward to the next two weekends and hopefully clinch this Championship once and for all.  COTA is going to be a very challenging track since I have never raced there before, so we will be working on car setup the entire weekend. The following week, we hope to repeat our win last season at the Daytona finale.”

The TA class field is set at 17 with a total of 52 entries for the event. The week starts early for teams as the track is hosting a test day on Wednesday November 4th. The first official Trans Am practice will be at 11:15am on Thursday, then “Fast Five” qualifying for the TA class at 3:00pm, followed by TA2 and TA3. Friday will be the second official practice session at 10:50am. After a morning warmup at 10:30am, the combined field will see the green flag on Saturday November 7th at 4:00pm for the 30-lap, 102.81-mile race.  All times listed are CDT. Visit gotransam.com for ticket, full schedule, and all other weekend information.

Sponsors:  McNICHOLS CO. is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials–stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 mcnichols.com.

Don Sitts Auto Sales, Inc. is a family owned and operated dealership in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Stop in for all your vehicle needs, over 200 cars in stock – for more info and inventory list, visit DonSitts.com.

For quick news and updates during race weekends, please follow Ruman Racing and the Trans Am Series on Twitter: @rumanracing and @gotransam. Be sure to “Like” our official pages on Facebook: Ruman Racing, Amy Ruman (Official Fan Page), McNichols Company, and Go Trans Am.

Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com           Live Timing/Twitter Feed: www.gotransam.com/live-timing-and-scoring/

Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

Ruman Back to Winning Ways at NOLA Motorsports Park – Has Won 6 of the 10 Trans Am Races This Season

by Filed Under: Press Releases

Munroe Falls, Ohio –  Amy Ruman and the Ruman Racing team worked their way back to the number one spot on the charts, bringing home Ruman’s 6th WIN of the 2015 Trans Am Season.

Trans Am’s debut at NOLA Motorsports Park proved to be an exciting one and even included a driver shuffle in the familiar No. 87 Cadillac, normally driven by defending TA champion Doug Peterson.  Peterson was at the track, but Tony Ave stepped into the No. 87 car and drove at NOLA this weekend, both Paul Fix and Peterson currently drive under the Ave team name.

The weekend was sunny, warm, and dry in the Deep South. Ruman struggled a bit with setup on the No. 23 McNichols/Don Sitts Auto Chevrolet Corvette, but secured third place on the grid behind Ave Racing teammates Fix and Ave in Friday’s “Fast Five” qualifier.

The start of the race saw another twist, as Ave elected to change tires and start in the back of the ten car TA class field, moving Ruman to the front row for the start of the race.  The green flag flew, and Ruman and Fix immediately went to battle. Fix gained the advantage into turn one and took the lead with Ruman a close second. As the race went on, Fix remained in first and Ruman had her mirrors full of Ave.  Ave passed Ruman on a restart after a full course caution, but a few laps later Ruman passed him back for second.  On the 27th lap of the race, Ruman passed Fix, who had gone off track, for the lead.  Ruman put some distance on Ave in 2nd, with Fix dropping some spots, eventually working his way back to 3rd. The race finished under a late full course caution and, on the last lap, Ave pulled in the pits to allow Fix to claim second place.

“We definitely needed this win, especially for the points chase,” said Ruman. “We couldn’t be happier for this McNichols team—the Chairman of McNichols Co., Gene McNichols, is here this weekend to celebrate this win with us, so I’m really excited about that. You know, we struggled a bit with setup here; and we kept trying and trying things. We went out for the Sunday morning warm-up and felt like the car was pretty good, so we tried to stay with Paul throughout the race. While I still think he was the guy to beat today, he made a mistake and we capitalized on it. I’ve made some mistakes on the last few races and he was able to capitalize on those, so this time it was our turn. We’ve got two to go, and we’re still in it to win it.”

Ruman, who has been in the Championship lead the whole year, is hoping the winning momentum is back in her court as she heads into the final two races.  “It’s funny in racing, results go in swings like that,” said Ruman. “Hopefully we can just keep moving forward and have good racing and finish strong. I haven’t been to COTA before, so we’ll do our best to learn it quickly, Daytona we’ve been strong at in the past, and we won there last year. We got hurt in the points a little bit in this weekend’s qualifier, qualifying third, but a win is a win and I’ll take it.”

There is still a 14 point difference between Ruman (284 pts) and Fix (270 pts) as they head to COTA November 8th.

Sponsors:  McNICHOLS CO. is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials–stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 mcnichols.com.

Don Sitts Auto Sales, Inc. is a family owned and operated dealership in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Stop in for all your vehicle needs, over 200 cars in stock – for more info and inventory list, visit DonSitts.com.

For quick news and updates during race weekends, please follow Ruman Racing and the Trans Am Series on Twitter: @rumanracing and @gotransam. Be sure to “Like” our official pages on Facebook: Ruman Racing, Amy Ruman (Official Fan Page), McNichols Company, and Go Trans Am.

Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com      Live Timing/Twitter Feed: www.gotransam.com/live-timing-and-scoring/

Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

final
For more information on the
Trans Am series and live timing, click here.

Follow me on Twitter

Like me on FB

Like me on FB
    Latest News
    Next Race
No Events

  

COPYRIGHT © Ruman Racing, Inc.