Munroe Falls, Ohio – It was a hot and steamy weekend as the Trans Am Series Championship Presented by Pirelli heated up the Brickyard! Two-time TA Champion Ruman was confident heading into the Indy weekend, and her confidence paid off with a come-back second place finish at the end of the day.
Hot and humid weather conditions made for a tough weekend for the teams at the racing capital of the world. Ruman and the team battled a slick track and put together a 7th placed qualifying run on Saturday. The team decided to make some pre-race setup changes hoping to make the race go a little smoother – unfortunately they went a little too far.
The late day 3:15pm race start saw 95º F air temps, 148º F track surface temps, and 150º F plus cockpit temps making for an additionally challenging race for the 30 drivers. Ruman had a good start and moved up a few spots at the start, but quickly started dropping positions as she immediately had handling issues. She held on to a very loose car for the beginning laps of the race, but after discussion with the crew elected to pit and make some set-up adjustments during the second caution of the race. The crew was able to make the changes and get her back out to re-join the field without going a lap down, however she dropped to dead last overall (11th in TA class). Ruman went on a mission and worked her way back up through the field eventually taking the checkered flag in 2nd place!
“We weren’t in the groove in the beginning,” said Ruman. “Our setup was terrible, and we decided to pit under caution and make adjustments. It was the right move, we dropped our time by three or so seconds. We drove from last to second; and I couldn’t be happier with this McNichols Co. 23 Corvette, hats off to the crew and my dad. A second at Indy is pretty cool, a first would have been better, but on a day like today I’ll take it!”
A 60-minute highlight show of the weekend will broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network, Sunday, July 1st at 2:00pm ET. Replays of both race’s live streams can be also viewed on Motor Trend On Demand.
Ernie Francis, Jr. leads the TA class Championship after Round 4 with 131 points, followed by Chris Dyson in second – 100, David Pintaric sits third – 96, and Amy Ruman moves up to 6th – 81 points. The Series travels to Wampum, PA, Pittsburgh International Race Complex August 3-5th for TA/TA3/TA4 only race.
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.
OMP Racing, Inc., OMP Racing is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of racing safety equipment and tuning accessories with a catalog of over 3,000 different items. Operating from a technologically advanced 80,000 sqft facility in Italy, OMP products are renowned for its quality, the meticulous attention to details that is constantly challenged by setting higher standards. For products and information visit ompamerica.com or ompsport.com.
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Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.
