Randy Ruhlman Qualifies Second for Motorock
Trans-Am at Cleveland Grand Prix
Randy Ruhlman Qualifies Second for Motorock Trans-Am at Cleveland Grand Prix
Cleveland, OH (July 1, 2004) Top Trans-Am driver Randy Ruhlman qualified
second for tomorrow¹s Motorock Trans-Am Series race at the Cleveland Grand
Prix. Ruhlman, driving a Derhaag Motorsports Preformed Line Products/
Coyote Closure Chevrolet Corvette, qualified with a time of 1:14.645, just
0.179 seconds behind pole sitter Tommy Kendall in a Rocketsports Jaguar.
Tommy Drissi finished out the top three in another Rocketsports Jaguar.
Ruhlman commented at the post qualifying press, ³This race is
always a homecoming for me, having grown up in Cleveland, and having all
sorts of family and friends here. This is also the corporate headquarters
of our sponsor, Preformed Line Products, so it hold a lot of pressure, too.
But it is good pressure. The kind that makes me want to go out and win.²
³We have been on the front row before here in 2000 with the Aurora and it is
always interesting at the start here. I am in a bit of a Jaguar sandwich
here, but I think our Corvette is up to the challenge. No matter how many
cars we have in the field it always seems like about 80 are trying to take
up the space of two at the start. I am looking towards the end of the race,
so I think I will try to make the first turn, by being smart,² continued
Ruhlman.
³After our third place finish at Sonoma Sunday evening, the crew guys had a
great trip back, even thought they drove 52 hours straight through to be
here yesterday. Our confidence in the car is growing every week, and that
grows on itself. The car does well, I feel good and confident, the crew
then feels great, and it just expands on itself. The changes we began on the
car last year and have been developing through this year are really
beginning to pay off. The car feels strong and neutral, and I have great
confidence in it and in what I can do with it now. It is going to be fun
out there tomorrow. I hope to see what Tommy Kendall has, and then be there
in First at the finish line,² ends Ruhlman.
There will be a pre-race practice session will be at 11:30 on Friday. The
cars scheduled to take the green flag at 5 PM on the 48 lap, 100 mile race
on the 10 turn, 2.106 mile track.
The Cleveland Grand Prix will be Ruhlman 140th starting Trans-Am. Ruhlman is
currently eighth in points going into this Round Four of the Motorock
Trans-Am Series, after his third place finish at Infineon Raceway in
California last week. Ruhlman finished sixth at Cleveland in 2003, and has
been on the front row in qualifying here at the Burke airport track.
Randy Ruhlman finished sixth overall in 2003 in the Driver's
Championship in a Derhaag Motorsports Corvette and was seventh overall in
2002 driving for Tom Gloy Racing with a second (and a 3rd in 2003) at Trois
Rivieres and third at Miami. Ruhlman was awarded the 2002 BBS Wheels "Most
Improved Driver of the Year". Randy Ruhlman is sixth overall in Top Ten
finishes in Trans-Am history.
Ruhlman's Chevrolet Corvette is fielded this year by the
Minneapolis-based, Derhaag Motorsports, 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, and Darin Brassfield.
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.
# # #
Cristi Brumm Ruhlman
336-210-0980
marketing@ruhlmanmotorsports.com
http://www.ruhlmanmotorsports.com <http://www.ruhlmanmotorsports.com/>
