Check out and read the article here on Amy Ruman in the Akron Beacon Journal published on October 28, 2011.

For Immediate Release: October 3, 2011
Contact: Amy Ruman 330.813.2323 cell

Munroe Falls, OH – Amy Ruman and the Ruman Racing Team clinched their first Trans-Am victory Friday at the 2011 SCCA Trans-Am season finale at Road Atlanta’s ALMS Petit Le Mans week. Ruman becomes the first woman to win a Trans-Am race in the 45 year history of the Series. The win, in addition to her other podium finishes this season, placed Ruman 3rd in the Trans-Am Championship points final standings.

Ruman and the team were in the top 3 in the 31 car field all week in practice and qualifying. Ruman qualified 3rd for the race, having been bumped from 2nd by Michael Lewis in the final lap of qualifying by 0.124 seconds. Friday afternoon’s 40-lap, 101.6-mile Trans-Am race lasted 1 hour and 23 minutes with five full-course cautions with good weather and close racing.

Ruman had a good start in the #23 McNichols Co./Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette, passing Michael Lewis into turn 1 to take 2nd place. Lewis then passed Ruman back on lap 3 and the top-3, Tony Ave, Lewis, Ruman remained running close together. Race leader Ave then encountered a mechanical problem and retired from the race on lap 22. Lewis and Ruman continued dueling for first place in between several full-course cautions. On lap 36, as the field took the green after the fourth full-course caution, Ruman got a jump on Lewis and passed him in turn 1. On lap 37, the field went under full-course caution for a crash and the remaining three laps in the race were run under yellow, with Ruman taking the win.

“It feels great,” Ruman said. “I feel like it’s long overdue for our team, but I’m excited to be up here. We worked really hard race after race and unfortunately, our best results were always third. We couldn’t seem to break that barrier the last couple years. I led at Brainerd and then it started raining, and it just seemed like there was always something blocking our way, mechanical problems or getting hit.”

“This is just a great way to finish the year for our team, especially McNichols Co. and Goodyear. They’ve been backing me for years and I finally delivered a win. The timing worked out for us. I was just patient trying to keep everybody at bay and if they got around me, I was just going to hold off to the end of the race and make my move. Unfortunately for Mike, he made a mistake and I capitalized on it and another yellow came back out. You’ve got to race to the checkered flag and that’s what we did. Even on those last caution laps, those were the longest ones of my life, because I didn’t know if they were going to hurry up and go one more [green lap]. But I just was patient and just praying that everything would stay together and we would see the checkered and we did. Today, we led the most important lap of the race, the last lap!”

“I want to thank my parents Bob and Barb, my amazing crew Bryan Salchak, Mike Edmunds, Dave Skinner, Bucky Stoltz, and Shelby Salchak, and my incredible sponsors – McNichols Co., Goodyear, and Cenweld Corp. – for making this win, this season, and the past seasons happen for us.”

Sponsors: McNichols Co., headquartered in Tampa, FL, 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. Goodyear Tire & Rubber is a Ruman Racing sponsor as well as the Series sponsor for Pro Spec Racer. Cenweld Corp., a well-established manufacturer and distributor of truck bodies and equipment throughout Ohio, is also long-time Ruman Racing sponsor.

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

For Immediate Release: September 26, 2011
Contact: Amy Ruman 330.813.2323 cell

Munroe Falls, OH – Amy Ruman and the team are headed to the final race of the season, the SCCA Trans-Am Season Finale at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA, part of the ALMS Petit Le Mans week. Ruman is fresh off her 3rd place finish in the #23 McNichols Co./Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette at the last Trans-Am race Labor Day weekend held at Brainerd International Raceway, MN.

This will be another busy week for Ruman and the team. Drivers will take to the track starting Tuesday, September 27th for a promoter’s test day. The official event begins Wednesday with two practice sessions at 11:00 am and 5:45 pm, followed by one qualifying session Thursday afternoon at 4:50 pm. The green flag will fly for the 100-mile Trans-Am race at 4:00 pm on Friday.

“Wow, I can’t believe the season finale is already here!” exclaimed Ruman. “I always look forward to running at Road Atlanta. It’s a really challenging track and there will be a ton of fans here to watch. I have one last shot this year at bringing home my first Trans-Am win for McNichols Co., Goodyear, and our team, and I am focused on that goal.”

Ruman is in a tight battle vying for a 3rd place finish in the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Championship driver point standings. She is trailing third place David Jans by only 21 points.

Don’t forget to tune in for SCCA Trans-Am LIVE timing & scoring and running race commentary at: http://www.trans-amracing.com/transamlive/. Live Timing & Scoring for smart phones is also available at http://livetiming.net/SCCA/Trans-AM/html.asp.

Sponsors: McNichols Co., headquartered in Tampa, FL, 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. Goodyear Tire & Rubber is a Ruman Racing sponsor as well as the Series sponsor for Pro Spec Racer. Cenweld Corp., a well-established manufacturer and distributor of truck bodies and equipment throughout Ohio, is also long-time Ruman Racing sponsor.

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

For Immediate Release: September 9, 2011
Contact: Amy Ruman 330.813.2323 cell

Munroe Falls, OH – Trans-Am Series Rounds 7 and 8 this past Labor Day weekend at Brainerd International Raceway continued to be challenging for Amy Ruman and the Ruman Racing Team. The two-race weekend proved to be as busy as a schedule could be for the Trans-Am teams. Ruman had great qualifying rounds, placing the #23 McNichols Co./Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette 3rd on the grid for race 1 on Saturday and 2nd on the grid for race 2 on Sunday.

Race 1: Saturday afternoon’s race weather was picture perfect when the green flag flew. Ruman charged to the flag right on pole sitter Tony Ave’s bumper and got a great jump on Cliff Ebben the 2nd place qualifier, when suddenly Ebben made a move to tuck in behind Ave. The problem was that Ruman already held the spot and the two tangled up, sending them both off the track and into the woods. Ruman was able to get off the tire wall and continue to the pit lane. The crew checked over the car quickly during the double yellow flag condition and sent her back out fast enough to not go a lap down. The track stayed double yellow and they brought her in again to check the tires. One rear tire had a broken valve stem and needed to be changed. They sent her back out, but she was unable to completely catch the field when the green flag came back out. Ruman went to work, as she has often this season, setting her sights on the front. She made her way back through the field up to 5th place, but the backup, used rear tire the crew put on was not lasting and forced Ruman to pit again under green flag conditions. The crew changed the tire again and sent her back out, but she had lost most of the positions she gained earlier in the race. She made up a few more positions to take the checkered in 4th place and she posted the fastest race lap during the race.

Race 2: The team was able to make all the necessary repairs to the #23 McNichols Corvette from the mishap with Ebben on Saturday. What looked like another sunny raceday, turned into a rain filled afternoon. The skies opened up just before the start of Race 2 on Sunday. The Brainard officials tried to dry most of the track before the start of the race. Drivers took the green after a 2-pace lap single file start. Ave, Ruman, and Ebben were single file for lap 1 when Ave hit a slick spot and spun allowing Ruman to get by and take the lead. Ruman got in a rhythm posting a 4.5 to 5 second gap on Ebben in second place, with Ave over 20 seconds behind. Unfortunately the skies decided to open up again and the rain started to fall. Ave caught Ebben and Ruman to take the lead again. Ruman and Ebben both had spins and traded places a few times during the race, leaving Ave to win with Ebben in 2nd and Ruman in 3rd.

“When Tony spun right off the bat I thought, ‘OK, we have a good opportunity here’ and the track was pretty dry by then,” Ruman said. “We just set sail and just focused on trying to get as big a lead as possible because I knew he’d be coming back with a vengeance and I knew Cliff was behind me. So once it started raining I just tried to stay out as far as I could but it just started pouring and the track was real wet,” exclaimed Ruman. “I just don’t have a lot of experience in the rain, unfortunately. I think I’ve only had maybe two national races in the rain. It’s all finesse and it’s all about experience and kind of luck sometimes. All three of us spun today. Unfortunately, I just had one too many. That win slipped away from us again. I’m a little disappointed. I’m happy about third but I’m a little disappointed for McNichols and my guys. They work their tails off all weekend, but I’m happy with third at this point.”

With these finishes, Ruman has now moved into the fourth slot of the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Championship driver standings trailing third place David Jans by only 21 points. The team is scheduled to run the Trans-Am season finale at Road Atlanta, GA in a few weeks.

Sponsors: McNichols Co., headquartered in Tampa, FL, 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. Goodyear Tire & Rubber is a Ruman Racing sponsor as well as the Series sponsor for Pro Spec Racer. Cenweld Corp., a well-established manufacturer and distributor of truck bodies and equipment throughout Ohio, is also long-time Ruman Racing sponsor.

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

UPCOMING RACES:
Sept. 28-30 – Amy Ruman in Round 9 SCCA Pro-Racing Trans-Am Series at Road Atlanta, GA

For Immediate Release: August 31, 2011
Contact: Amy Ruman 330.813.2323 cell

Munroe Falls, OH – After a short week and a half, the Ruman Racing team is on its way to Brainerd International Raceway for Trans-Am Rounds 7 and 8 this Labor Day weekend. This will be Ruman’s first time running at BIR.

The team was able to make all the necessary repairs to the #23 McNichols Co./Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette after the mishap at the Road America race. This weekend’s 23rd Annual Coca-Cola Muscle Car Shootout Drag Races & SCCA Pro Racing Road Races will feature two 100 mile Trans-Am Series races for the teams, with a race on Saturday and one on Sunday. It will be a very busy weekend for the teams, as there will be three official practice sessions, two qualifying sessions, and two races on the 2.5 mile – 13 turn road course.

“I’m looking forward to checking out the BIR track,” said Ruman. “I really hope our luck turns around here, it has been a tough year on the team. We have two shots at a win this weekend and that’s even better!”

The official event starts Friday and runs through Sunday, all times are Central Daylight Time. Trans-Am practices will be Friday at 6:20pm, Saturday and Sunday at 8:40am. Qualifying will take place 11:30am Saturday for race 1, and 11:00am Sunday for race 2. The green flag will fly on Saturday at 3:40pm and Sunday’s race will be at 2:35pm.

Don’t forget to tune in for SCCA Trans-Am LIVE timing & scoring and running race commentary at: http://www.trans-amracing.com/transamlive/. Live Timing & Scoring for smart phones is also available at http://livetiming.net/SCCA/Trans-AM/html.asp.

Sponsors: McNichols Co., headquartered in Tampa, FL, 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. Goodyear Tire & Rubber is a Ruman Racing sponsor as well as the Series sponsor for Pro Spec Racer. Cenweld Corp., a well-established manufacturer and distributor of truck bodies and equipment throughout Ohio, is also long-time Ruman Racing sponsor.

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

UPCOMING RACES:
Sept. 28-30 – Amy Ruman in Round 9 SCCA Pro-Racing Trans-Am Series at Road Atlanta, GA