Millville, NJ (1 July 2012) – Amy Ruman returned to Trans Am victory lane on Sunday with the No. 23 McNichols Co./Goodyear/Cenweld Corvette, scoring the win at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Round 4 of the 2012 Trans Am championship. Ruman, who became the first woman in history to win a Trans Am race at Road Atlanta last year, led nine laps en route to victory – taking the checkered flag with a 20.090-second advantage over the second place car of Simon Gregg.
Opening the 45-lap, 101.25-mile race from third on the grid, Ruman immediately made a move forward and slotted into the second position on the first lap. She would follow closely behind the leading car of Doug Peterson – closing the gap each lap as she clicked off quicker lap times each time by.
Ruman would take the lead on Lap 11 and pace the field for four laps as she defended against Peterson in a fierce battle for the lead. The duo has plenty of recent experience racing each other, having also done battle in SCCA National competition at Mid-Ohio. She ultimately relinquished the top spot and ran second as she chased Peterson in a race that ran at a blisteringly fast pace under very hot conditions with temperatures reaching 92 degrees at the early 10:05 AM start time.
After an unfortunate incident with the No. 4 Corvette of Tony Ave, Ruman’s shot for the win was in jeopardy. Ruman limped the wounded No. 23 to pit lane with a flat right rear tire where the crew was waiting to make a tire change. Fortunately for Ruman, the track went under a full course caution while in the pit lane. She was able to get back on track, remain on the lead lap, and rejoin the pack as she lined up in third with less than seven laps to go.
Ruman again had a great start and improved to run second with five laps to go. She regained the lead on the following lap and never looked back – crossing the finish line with the 23-second advantage over the rest of the Trans Am field.
“That was an exciting race!” Ruman enthused after having run in such close contact for the lead for so much of the race. “It nearly slipped away from us but it feels great to come back and take another Trans Am win. I’m so proud of the effort this entire Ruman Racing group puts into these races. For us to win with this new McNichols Corvette, it feels fantastic.”
The Trans Am New Jersey Motorsports Park highlights race show will air on MAVTV, Sunday July 8th at 6:00 pm EST.
With that result Ruman closed the gap in the championship but the top three remained unchanged – 1) Gregg 115, 2) Peterson 108, and 3) Ruman 104. The tight championship chase is heating up as we shift into an exciting second half of the Trans Am schedule. Ruman will look for another victory as Trans Am heads to historic Watkins Glen International next weekend for Round 5.
Sponsors: McNICHOLS Nationwide Service Centers 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 Goodyear Tire & Rubber is a Ruman Racing sponsor as well as the Series sponsor. 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@gotransam. Be sure to “Like” our official pages on Facebook: Ruman Racing, Amy Ruman (Official Fan Page), McNichols Company, and Go Trans Am.
Broadcast information: www.goracingtv.com
Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com
Live Timing/Twitter Feed: www.gotransam.com/live-timing-and-scoring/
Looking ahead:
Round 5: Watkins Glen International July 8
Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.
