July 02, 2003 – Three Regional Sponsors on Board –
McNichols Co., Cenweld Corp., and Cleveland Hard Facing
Munroe Falls, OH – Racing is just part and parcel of hometown driver, Bob Ruman, who will be competing on Burke Lakefront Airport’s Grand Prix circuit for the 8th consecutive year with the BFGoodrich Trans-Am Series during the Cleveland Grand Prix Fourth of July weekend. Ruman is a regular driver in the Trans-Am Series and has raced in a variety of series throughout the Ohio region all his life. The Cleveland Grand Prix will also be a return of sorts for Ruman during an unusual season.
Shortly after the February Trans-Am season opener in St. Petersburg, Ruman was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He was forced to put his Trans-Am season on hold for the first time in 8 years. But today, thanks to the hard work of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals at Akron General Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic, Ruman is now cancer-free.
“As is often the case with cancer, the diagnosis came from out of the blue,” explains Ruman. “We were stunned. I had been feeling fine, racing, working, and everything seemed normal. But in the span of two weeks, I became ill and was hospitalized, with tests being conducted continuously. It turns out, Northeast Ohio is a fantastic place to live if you have a problem such as mine. A team of doctors was able to speedily diagnose and operate to remove my infected kidney. The Cleveland Clinic has the top laproscopic kidney operating team in the country and I am extremely impressed with their skill and technological capabilities.“
“My doctors have released me to go racing again and I am thrilled that my first race back is the Cleveland Grand Prix. This is one of the most exciting races on the circuit. The Cleveland fans are incredibly supportive of Trans-Am, and the race is always one of, if not the best, of the weekend.”
“I am extremely pleased to have my Northeast Ohio sponsors returning for the Cleveland race. McNichols Co. is a national distributor of steel products based in Tampa, Florida with service centers around the country, including Cleveland. Cenweld Corp. is a well-established manufacturer and distributor of truck bodies and equipment throughout Ohio and is based in Cuyahoga Falls. Cleveland Hard Facing, Inc. has also come on board for the third year as an associate sponsor for the Cleveland race. Cleveland Hard Facing is a leader in the development and application of high temperature metal alloys and ceramics as overlays on custom fabricated parts.
The Trans-Am race will start at 5:40pm July 4, with practice and qualifying on July 3. The race will be telecast tape-delay on Speed Channel Sunday, July 6 at 3:30pm (ET).
