Munroe Falls, Ohio – Round 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway did not bode well for Ruman and her team. After heading to the race with high hopes and making it to the track safely after dodging hurricane Matthew, the result fell a bit short of expectations.
After the promoter’s test day was cancelled by the Series due to travel restraints and weather conditions, the teams were set to have one practice session, qualifier, and a race. Ruman entered pit lane for the first session and immediately had to go to her pit box to address a transmission leak and was unable to turn a lap. The team worked diligently to fix the issue. The Series ended up splitting the qualifying sessions to have a 10-minute practice and a 15-minute qualifier for all the groups. Ruman was able to get a few laps in before qualifying and put the No. 23 McNichols Chevrolet Corvette on the grid in fourth. Ruman later moved into third starting position after the No. 50 car did not pass post qualifying technical inspection and was underweight.
The start proved to be another good one for Ruman as she made a pass for second slot on Ebben. Lopez, Ruman, and Ebben broke away from the field with Ruman and Ebben eventually swapping positions. After a mid-race caution the field was reset. As the green flag flew, Ruman saw an opportunity for a pass on Ebben again heading into turn one, but this time she was unable to make it stick. The track conditions were far from perfect and very slick, and Ruman got loose heading into the brake zone and spun dropping her to the back of the overall field. With the time remaining in the race, Ruman made her way back to finish sixth, with the race ending under full course yellow.
“Well, I kind-of dug myself a hole these past few races. We have been running up front and just have not ended up finishing well. We are now tied with Cliff (Ebben) in the Championship points. I knew this year would not be easy to repeat and circumstances and things happen in racing that sometimes you just can’t control. The good news is we have three races left to try and make it happen again for us – and I won these three at the end of last season,” commented Ruman.
The Trans Am Series heads directly to NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, LA for Round 10 of the 2016 Championship this weekend. Located just 14 miles from the French Quarter of New Orleans, NOLA presents a 2.75-mile, world-class track consisting of 16 turns, with a 5,200-foot straightaway. This will be Trans Am’s second appearance at the circuit in conjunction with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, SVRA.
Heading to NOLA, Ruman, in her No. 23 McNichols Chevrolet Corvette, is currently tied with Cliff Ebben in the TA class of Trans Am Championship points standings with just three races to go in the 2016 season.
“I’m excited to go back to New Orleans, but it’s another tough track that lacks grip sometimes,” stated Ruman. “There is a lot of season left to win this thing, so it’s all about focus, determination, and perseverance now – that’s what Championships are made of. If it were easy, everyone would have one!”
The track is hosting a test day on Thursday October 13th. There will be one official TA practice and “One Shot” qualifying will take place on Friday, October 14th. Saturday will feature two Trans Am races – the TA/3/4 race at 11:30 am followed by the TA2 at 5:00 pm, both at 37-laps, 101.75-miles – all times listed are CDT. Visit gotransam.com or nolamotor.com/ for tickets, full schedule, and all other weekend information.
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.
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.
Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com Live Timing/Twitter Feed: www.gotransam.com/live-timing-and-scoring/
