PR Redistributed from www.trans-amracing.com
Contact: Trans-Am PR Manager – Nate Siebens
Trans-Am Competitors Keeping Busy During “Summer Break”
TOPEKA, Kan. (June 30, 2011) – With Independence Day on Monday, the summer vacation season is now in full swing. That’s also the case in the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series, where competitors have had some time to themselves since a busy, three-race month of May.
So what are they doing to pass the time?
Derhaag Motorsports owner Jim Derhaag went hunting in Argentina, where he got a bit of an extended vacation courtesy of volcanoes in Chile. Others have been busy building new racecars.
“We have a new Camaro going together that should see its maiden race at Trois-Rivieres,” says Trans-Am 2 (TA2) front-runner Bob Stretch. “Watch for a Hugger orange Camaro to be there…”
“We have been working flat out sending cars and parts overseas, plus I tested some stock cars for teams running the various road course events during the break,” adds defending Trans-Am Series champion and current points leader Tony Ave.
RJ Lopez, the 2010 Trans-Am Series runner-up, has returned to his native Dominican Republic to do some work. But, like many of his fellow competitors, he’s itching to get back to racing.
“I have been busy getting back to work here,” Lopez says. “Within our business in the Dominican Republic, we have acquired a network affiliation license with ESPN Radio. It’s a very exciting opportunity for our company, as well as a first for the Dominican Republic in terms of local media developing an affiliation with a multi-national broadcasting network. It’s been fun, but I can’t wait to get back on track!”
That’s a common sentiment among many Trans-Am Series racers. And many of them have taken matters into their own hands, finding other places to get their racing “fix,” all the while knowing that nothing can truly substitute for Trans-Am Series action.
For drivers like Simon Gregg and Amy Ruman, that means healthy doses of SCCA Club Racing, which allows them to run the same Chevrolet Corvettes they race in Trans-Am in GT-1 Club competition. Ave, too, was busy on the Club Racing front during June Sprints at Road America. He looked after four customer cars, including the one that past Trans-Am race winner, Cliff Ebben, won in, and also the one driven to the third-fastest lap by another Trans-Am racer, 2011 Rookie of the Year points leader David Jans.
Ruman, meanwhile, had a great weekend on June 11-12 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near her home in Kent, Ohio, winning both races of an SCCA Double National and setting a new Mid-Ohio track record.
“Man, what a great weekend for our team,” Ruman said. “It felt good to be back on the top step of the podium! We had a lot of fans cheering for us, so I was glad we came in first in both races.”
Ruman then returned to Mid-Ohio the Monday after the Double National to participate in an all-day photo shoot for the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette brochure and online marketing campaigns, where she turned a number of hot laps in the new ‘Vette.
“I was excited when I received a phone call that they were looking for a pro driver for the day,” Ruman said. “I jumped at the opportunity to drive a bunch of 2012 Corvettes around. Who wouldn’t want to do that?”
Indeed, driving 2012 Corvettes at Mid-Ohio sounds like a cool way to get some seat time. Another way was the route taken by a pair of Trans-Am racers last weekend, who got the opportunity to climb through the driver’s side window on some NASCAR machinery.
Ave, who is no stranger to NASCAR competition, drove the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford at Infineon Raceway in hopes of participating in the Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 last Sunday. Unfortunately, he did not qualify for the race owing to transmission problems. Doug Harrington, meanwhile, made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Road America in the No. 41 New Orleans Voodoo Ford. He finished 30th in the Bucyrus 200 Presented by Menards.
The Trans-Am summer break will extend through the month of July, where competitors will continue to keep themselves busy. Some will compete in additional club events, and at least one plans to use this break to find a way to beat Ave when things crank up again at Trois-Rivieres on the first weekend in August.
“For the Lopesport team, this was a much-needed break,” Lopez admits. “After a great start to the season, we had several mechanical difficulties with the car and we were able to take this time off to go through the car and get it where it needs to be.
“We are very realistic and recognized the fact that Tony Ave and his crew have stepped up their game. Hats off to them for the job they have done this year, but I can honestly say that their good performance has only made us hungrier. We are doing our homework to narrow that gap, and we are very excited for Trois-Rivieres, as we believe we will be able to give them a run for their money.”
We’ll all find out if that’s the case on August 7, when Trans-Am returns to action north of the border. It’ll be here before we know it.
Image: Tony Ave drives the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at Infineon Raceway. Credit: Nate Jacobson (To use a web-resolution sized image, right click the image and “save as”.)
