Ruhlman Poised for Fifth in Trans-Am Driver's Championship at Puerto Rico Grand Prix

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Contact: Cristina Ruhlman

            336-210-0980

            marketing@ruhlmanmotorsports.com

 

RUHLMAN POISED FOR FIFTH IN DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP AS
2003 TRANS-AM SEASON FINALE GETS GOING AT INAUGUARAL GRAND PRIX OF PUERTO
RICO,

 

San Juan, Puerto Rico (Oct 24)  -- The 2002 Trans-Am Series ³Most Improved
Driver of the Year² Randy Ruhlman will be ready to put his street course
expertise to the final test of the 2003 Motorock Trans-Am Tour for the
BFGoodrich Tires® Cup season this weekend at the inaugural Grand Prix of
Puerto Rico.  The course, just minutes from Old San Juan, makes an historic
setting for what should prove to be a great match for the final run for
Driver¹s Championship points

         .  

³I am looking forward to getting out there on this airport course and
driving the track.  It resembles the Cleveland track on paper, but with some
of the corners mixed around.  What the surface will be like, who knows?  We
all get a chance to drive the course in practice today, but since it was an
active runway until now, no one has really seen the track up close,² says
Ruhlman.  

 

³I do like new courses and tight ones are the best.  But here, we have a few
extra unknowns.  There are a lot of local racers, who are going to have
something to prove out there.  And of course, Bobby [Sak] and I will be
fighting for fifth in points, along with everyone else in their points
battles.  It will be interesting.  I do think we have shown we have what it
takes this year, the fourth at Mosport and the third at Trois Rivieres.  I
think we have a good shot at the podium here and it would be really great to
finish out this year on a high note,² remarks Randy Ruhlman.

 

         It will be a tough battle this weekend, as four drivers have little
to lose in trying to get to that coveted fifth place in the Driver¹s
Championship.  Ruhlman is poised just ten points from fifth in the series.
Stu Hayner and Bobby Sak are currently tied at fifth with 178 points.
Ruhlman has 168, and Baucom in eighth has162.  Bobby Sak overtook Ruhlman at
Miami, when Ruhlman scored out of the points after an early mishap with the
wall.  A win is worth 30 points and fifth is 21 points, with the points
descending by one thereafter.  There are also bonus points for fast
qualifying and leading laps.

 

         On track activities begin today at 11:20 AM with a second 30 minute
practice today beginning at 3:40PM.  Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at
12:40 PM, and the final practice from 4-4:30 on Saturday.

 

The inaugural Grand Prix of Puerto Rico is set to begin on Sunday at 2 PM
AST, and will be run Live on SPEED at 1PM EST.  Round Eleven, the final race
of the 2003 season, is scheduled for 63 laps and a 100.8 mile distance.

 

Preformed Line Products (PLP) is an international manufacturer and supplier
of hardware and support systems for the communications and energy
industries.  Products include the COYOTE Closure and GUY-GRIP Dead-End used
in the telecommunications, cable and energy industries. Manufacturing
facilities are located worldwide in the USA, Canada, China, Brazil, Mexico,
England, Spain, South Africa, Australia and Japan.

 

Ruhlman's Chevrolet Corvette is fielded this year by the Minneapolis-based,
Derhaag Motorsports team, led by former Trans-Am driver Jim Derhaag.  Jim
Derhaag himself made 150 starts as a driver in the Trans-Am Series before
his successful move to full time ownership in 1998.  The team has fielded
many successful drivers, including top Trans-Am drivers Justin Bell, Kenny
Wilden, Tony Ave, Dorsey Schroeder, Chris Neville and Darin Brassfield.

 

 

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