Munroe Falls, Ohio – The 50th Anniversary year and the 2016 Trans Am Season opener kicked off this weekend at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, FL. Ruman Racing and Amy Ruman wasted no time picking up right where they left off after clinching the 2015 TA Championship.
Ruman was quick right off the trailer, leading the one and only practice in the shortened weekend format on Friday. “One Shot Qualifying” began late in the day Friday at 5:00pm, which led to the usual thrilling session between the top five, with Ruman (2:02.719) being inched out of first netting a third place starting position on the grid behind pole sitter Lopez (2:02.657) and Fix (2:02.659) in second.
However, Ruman wasted no time at the start of the race propelling the No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette into 1st place and proceeding to lead the 22-car TA field for 14 of the 20 race laps. Unfortunately, the lead slipped away on lap 15 when she fell victim to ever changing track conditions and spun entering turn 17. She garnered a 10th place finish in route to defend her title in the Round 1 of the race for the Championship.
“This was a tough one to swallow,” stated Ruman. “After such a great start to the weekend and the race, I really thought I had this one in the bag. The sun glare was horrible heading into the break zone at the end of the back straightaway and I made a mistake and got in a little too deep, locked the tires up and spun. The No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette was great all weekend long and we were in control of the race until I spun. Regrettably, I had to pit for flat spots on the tires and my amazing crew did an excellent job getting me back out there and keeping me on the lead lap, but the race was shortened due to time and daylight restrictions and we simply ran out of laps to catch the leaders again. I do want to congratulate Kenny Bupp on his first career Trans Am win this weekend, we are really happy for him and his team.”
Ruman currently sits 8th in the Championship points standings with a total of 19. The Series will be heading to Road Atlanta on April 10th for Round 2 of the 2016 Championship. “It’s early in the season and not everyone had a great race this weekend. Our team is resilient and no doubt we will fight our way back to the front of the standings and come out swinging again at Road Atlanta. The season is long and there are still 11 races to go,” indicated Ruman.
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.
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/
Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.
