July 01, 2001 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (July 1, 2001)
Contact: Amy Ruman ph:330-923-9717

Ruman Finishes 16th at Cleveland in the Cenweld/McNichols Corvette while Driving without Power Steering

Ruman Remains 9th in Series Points

Cleveland, OH — In an exciting Simple Green 100 Cleveland Trans-Am race on Saturday, Bob Ruman, moved up to 5th position before losing the power steering and holding on for 16th place. The weekend started well, with Ruman 12th out of 32 drivers in the first practice session on Friday morning. Ruman ran even stronger later that day, qualifying 11th. He started the race in 10th when Stu Hayner was placed at the back of the field.

Just as the field prepared to leave pre-grid for the race, there was a torrential downpour. The officials declared it a rain race, allowing competitors the option of changing to rain tires. Most of the field changed to rains including Ruman. As the field moved onto the grid on the front straight to start the race, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Ruman had an excellent start on the wet track, moving from 10th to 7th by turn three on the first lap. He then worked his way up to 6th as the field spread out. About 10 laps into the race, Ruman hit a puddle on the pit straight and had to detour into the grass. Unfortunately, the excursion punctured a hole in the power steering reservoir and after a few more laps, Ruman lost the power steering. While he was able to drive the car without a pit stop for the remainder of the 47 lap race, he fell off pace. Still, Ruman was able to finish a respectable 16th and gain enough points to remain 9th in the Series overall standings.

“Cleveland was an exciting event for all of our sponsors and their customers. We were thrilled that so many could come out despite the intermittent rain. It was a good show. The team was very pleased
with how the Cenweld/McNichols Co. Corvette handled. If we had a dry track, I think we could have had a higher finish. We just got bit by poor tire placement – when I hydroplaned in one of the puddles
and took a short excursion at the kink on the pit straight, which punctured the power steering reservoir. I definitely had to muscle the car around for the rest of the race.” said Bob Ruman.

The next race — Sears Point on Saturday, July 21. Televised live on CBS at 2:30 pm (EST).

Cenweld Corp., Cuyahoga Falls, OH: a nationally recognized, final stage manufacturer of motor trucks for commercial, utility and municipal applications located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. 800.669.0599

McNichols Co., Cleveland, OH: the largest U.S. distributor of “Hole” products, such as Perforated Metal, Wire Cloth, Expanded Metal, and Gratings. 800.237.3820 www.mcnichols.com

Commercial Ullman Lubricants Co./Mobil, Cleveland, OH: specializes in lubricants and is one of the largest area distributors for Mobil products.

Cleveland Hard Facing, Inc., Cleveland, OH: applicators of wear, corrosion and heat resistant overlays.

June 28, 2001 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 28, 2001)
Contact: Amy Ruman ph:330-923-9717

Native NE Ohio Racer Bob Ruman is Strong Contender in this Weekend’s Cleveland Grand Prix-Trans-Am

Ruman Gains Sponsorship from McNichols Co.
Ruman Stands 9th in Series Points

Munroe Falls, OH — Hometown driver, Bob Ruman, will be challenging the Trans-Am field once again this weekend at the Simple Green 100 Cleveland Grand Prix Trans-Am race. This will be Ruman’s sixth appearance at the Cleveland Grand Prix in as many Trans-Am seasons; he finished 10th at Cleveland last year. Ruman comes into round five of the Trans-Am series 9th in the Series points standings. He had three top-ten finishes in the first four races of the season, including 9th at Mosport, 10th at Long Beach, and 10th at Sebring.
Ruman Racing welcomes new sponsorship from McNichols Co., a national distributor of steel products based in Tampa, Florida with service centers around the country, including Cleveland. McNichols Co. is
on board for the Cleveland Grand Prix as an associate sponsor.

“McNichols Co. is very proud and honored to be represented by the Ruman Racing Corvette Team. We are excited to see the Trans-Am Series stepping up to CBS. We are looking forward to a high-flying race on the runways of Cleveland,” said Steven McNichols.

“We are very excited to have McNichols Co. join our team. The Cenweld/McNichols Co. Corvette crew will be working hard for a top finish this weekend. Cleveland is always a high point in the season for our team – with the hometown crowd and such a fabulous racetrack at Burke Lakefront Airport.” said Bob Ruman.

Television — Cleveland will be the second Trans-Am race televised on CBS. It will be shown on Sunday, July 1 at 3:30 pm (EST), a one day tape delay.

Track — The track is a 2.106 mile temporary road course on the runways of Burke Lakefront Airport in downtown Cleveland. The Trans-Am race will be Saturday at 4:45 pm. The race length will be 47 laps for 98.9 miles.

Schedule —
Friday, June 29: 10:15 practice; 6:30 qualifying
Saturday, June 30: 8:00 practice; 4:45 Simple Green 100 race

Cenweld Corp., Cuyahoga Falls, OH: a nationally recognized, final stage manufacturer of motor trucks for commercial, utility and municipal applications located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. 800.669.0599

McNichols Co., Cleveland, OH:The largest U.S. distributor of “Hole” products, such as Perforated Metal, Wire Cloth, Expanded Metal, and Gratings. 800.237.3820 www.mcnichols.com

Commercial Ullman Lubricants Co./Mobil, Cleveland, OH: specializes in lubricants and is one of the largest area distributors for Mobil products.

June 18, 2001 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 18, 2001)
Contact: Amy Ruman ph:330-923-9717

Tough Race Day: Ruman has Mchanical Setback at Detroit
Finishes in 21st, But Remains 9th in Points

Detroit, MI — Bob Ruman battled a host of mechanical woes during the Detroit Motor City 100 presented by Johnson Controls weekend. Engine trouble led to a disappointing qualifying at 23rd. Ruman started the race in 20th when other competitors went to the rear of the pack. It was a clean start and Ruman began working his way through the field. Twelve laps into the 42 lap race, however, the left front steering link broke as Ruman entered turn 12, the tight right-hander.

“I turned right, and the car went straight,” explained Ruman. “I just barely got the car stopped before almost hitting the wall.” He brought the car into the pits and the crew worked diligently to replace the broken link. Ruman was able to continue, but had lost 11 laps. He finished 21st but still gained important points.

Ruman remains in 9th place in the Trans-Am Championship standings.

The team is looking forward to the next race in front of the “hometown” crowd in Cleveland on June 29.

Sponsor — Cenweld Corp., Cuyahoga Falls, OH: a nationally recognized, final stage manufacturer of motor trucks for commercial, utility and municipal applications located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Supporting Sponsor — Commercial Ullman Lubricants Co./Mobil, Cleveland, OH: specializes in lubricants and is one of the largest area distributors for Mobil products.

June 13, 2001 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 13, 2001)
Contact: Amy Ruman ph:330-923-9717

Ruman Racing is Ready for Detroit and Trans-Am Series Debut on CBS

Munroe Falls, OH — Bob Ruman will take the wheel again this weekend at the Motor City 100 presented by Johnson Controls. The round four Trans-Am series race will be televised for the first time on CBS on Sunday, June 17. Ruman has had top-ten finishes in each of the three races this season, including 9th at Mosport, 10th at Long Beach, and 10th at Sebring placing him in 9th in the Series points standings, just one point away from 7th place.

“The Cenweld Corvette has run strong this season. We are very pleased with our program at this point and we’re aiming at a top-five finish this weekend,” said Ruman.

The Track — The temporary road course is 2.3619 miles with 14 turns. The Trans-Am race will be Saturday, June 16, at 4:00 pm. The race will be 42 laps for 99 miles with no pit stops.

Television — Detroit will be the first Trans-Am race televised on a major network in the Series’ 33 years. The race will be shown on Sunday June 17 at 5:00 pm (EST), a one day tape delay.

Amy Ruman Finishes 17th in Pro Spec Racer at Mid-Ohio

Amy Ruman qualified 17th at the Pro Spec Racer event at Mid-Ohio last weekend. She ran as high as 11th before encountering an incident and sustaining body damage. Ruman finished the race in 17th.

“I was very disappointed that I was involved in the first turn, first lap crash. A bunch of the guys got together in the first turn, I almost made it through, but one of the cars got turned around and I got into him. There was bodywork damage, but I was able to continue.
Several laps later, my tail came off, and I dropped back again trying to avoid another incident” commented Ruman. “I had a great car this weekend, I wish we could have had a clean race.”

Sponsor — Cenweld Corp., Cuyahoga Falls, OH: a nationally recognized, final stage manufacturer of motor trucks for commercial, utility and municipal applications located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Supporting Sponsor — Commercial Ullman Lubricants Co./Mobil, Cleveland, OH: specializes in lubricants and is one of the largest area distributors for Mobil products.

May 20, 2001 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 20, 2001)
Contact: Amy Ruman ph:330-923-9717

Ruman Garners 9th and Hard Charger Award at Mosport Trans-Am

OHIO: Amy Ruman is 7th at Nelson Ledges SCCA National

Bowmanville, Ontario — Bob Ruman continues his top-ten streak this season with a 9th place finish and he also earned Hard Charger of the Race award at the Mosport Trans-Am Series 125 today. Ruman is 9th in the Trans-Am Series points standings after Mosport. He was 10th at Sebring and 10th at Long Beach in April. “The Cenweld Corvette ran well in the race after having a tough time in practice and qualifying. The pit stop went smoothly and the team’s hard work paid off,” said Ruman.

Ruman started in 23rd after engine trouble in qualifying. He had a very good start and moved up to 18th on the first lap. “I was pretty aggressive and passed everywhere I could,” said Ruman. He moved up several more positions in the following laps. “I had two very close calls today. The first happened as I entered the long, back straightaway. A car had just blown a motor and there was an enormous cloud of smoke. I entered the smoke at 130mph and couldn’t even see the road. I went strictly by feel and at last I popped out of the smoke and was able to avoid the stopped car.”

Ruman was also very close to the fatal accident that happened on lap 38, which led to a 40 minute red flag while the drivers were air lifted to the hospital. “G.J. Mennen and I were racing hard as we exited turn one and came upon the accident just after it occurred. A huge cloud of dust covered the track and you couldn’t see anything-not even the track,” explained Ruman. “I prayed and shot left, G.J. went right. As I came through it, I saw the two crashed cars entwined to my right and at first I thought G.J. must have also gotten tangled in there, but somehow he managed to get through too. Our deepest sympathies go out to Mike’s [Gagliardo] family during this difficult time and we pray for a speedy recovery for Gary [Longo].”

When the race resumed for the final 11 laps (3 under yellow – ending with a 7 lap shoot out), Ruman dueled with Lazzarro and Said and finished 9th. He had advanced 13 places, which earned him the award and check for Hard Charger of the Race.

Amy Ruman Finishes 7th at Nelson Ledges
Amy Ruman qualified 6th at the Nelson Ledges SCCA Northeast National race today in the Cenweld Spec Racer Ford. She was forced off-track to avoid a spinning car in turn three on the first lap and hit one of the famous Nelson Ledges holes (yes, holes) which caused her to
lose ground to the rest of the field. She gave chase and was able to move back up to 7th by the checkered flag.

“I was very disappointed that we had a first lap incident” stated Ruman. “The field was so tight up front and I was looking forward to running a close race, but that didn’t happen today – I’ll take the 7th.”

Next Trans-Am race — Detroit, June 16