Munroe Falls, Ohio – It was a tough weekend for Ruman and the team at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California for Round 3 of the Championship Presented by Pirelli.
The team struggled early with finding some grip and Ruman ultimately qualified the No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette in ninth position in Saturday’s qualifying. The team worked diligently to give her a more solid setup for the race, and it seemed to pay off early.
Ruman had an awesome start moving up several positions and challenging for sixth place by turn three. She settled for seventh and was running hard with in the top pack until lap 9 when the No. 59 (Gregg) made contact with Ruman’s left front causing suspension damage and tire damage. She was forced to pit twice for the crew to change tires and to try and “bandaid” the front suspension issues, causing her to go a few laps down. Ruman persevered and ran hard the rest of the race, capitalizing on a few spots through passing and late race attrition.
“It’s a shame we got taken out, I’m fairly sure I would have had a top three with how it all played out in the end and I missed out on some valuable Championship points. The car felt better in the race and I was able to keep pace with the pack. The officials reviewed what happened post-race and I think they made the right call even though it didn’t help me in the end,” stated Ruman.
Trans Am officials reviewed several incidents that generated post-race penalties and jockeying of finishing positions including changes in the podium and race winner. However, Ruman’s finishing position was not affected by the penalties.
The Championship points race is heating up – after Round 3, Ernie Francis Jr. leads the TA class championship with 79 points, followed by Chris Dyson in second – 78, Tomy Drissi in third – 73, Justin Marks in fourth – 65, Ken Thwaits sits in fifth – 58, Boris Said in sixth – 57, David Pintaric is seventh – with 54, and Amy Ruman drops to eighth – with 52 points. The Series travels to Lime Rock Park, CT, May 28-31st. Please visit limerockpark.com, gotransam.com or svra.com for ticket, full schedule, and all other weekend information.
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SPONSOR: 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 | sales@mcnichols.com
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Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.
