Munroe Falls, Ohio – After a rough start to the Trans Am SpeedFest weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California, the Ruman Racing team headed back home to Ohio with a 5th place finish.
It was a busy two days in California for the Trans Am teams, packing in test, practice, and qualifying sessions on Friday followed by the race on Saturday. Amy and the team struggled with ignition problems in the test and practice sessions giving her limited laps and time on the track, most laps not at full speed. The team worked diligently on the problem between sessions and were confident they found and fixed the issues prior to qualifying. The No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette seemed to be back up to speed in qualifying and Ruman captured the 7th slot on the starting grid.
It was a gorgeous cool, sunny California day for the 12:50pm PT start of Round 3 of the Championship presented by Pirelli. Ruman moved up a few positions in the early part of the race, running consistently in 4th place. Simon Gregg and Ruman battled for most of the second half of the race with Ruman narrowly holding him off. On the last lap, traffic came into play and Gregg got a jump on Ruman, passing her for 4th position and Ruman crossed the stripe in 5th place.
“It was a disappointing start to the weekend that’s for sure. We had some unexpected electrical gremlins that made it tough for me to really nail down setup and to learn the track quickly. Luckily the guys worked them out by qualifying and I just tried to learn as much as possible while I was out there. Simon (Gregg) and I had a great race, and unfortunately, I got caught up and Simon got a run on me on the last lap and took 4th. Those two points I lost are critical right now for the Championship, but it’s still early in the season and a lot can happen. We had a great time out here, and the fans were amazing,” exclaimed Ruman.
The Championship points race is heating up – after Round 3, Lawrence Loshak leads the TA class championship with 100 points, Tomy Drissi moves into second with – 71, Chris Dyson drops to third – 69, Ernie Francis Jr. moved up to fourth – 67, and Amy Ruman drops to fifth with – 67 points. The Series travels to Lime Rock Park, CT, May 24-27th. Please visit gotransam.com or svra.com for ticket, full schedule, and all other weekend information.
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.
For quick news and updates during race weekends, please follow us on all social media! Twitter: @rumanracing, @mcnicholsco, @opmracing and @gotransam. Facebook: Ruman Racing, Amy Ruman (Official Fan Page), McNichols Company, OMP Racing, and The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli.
Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.
