Another Fast Five Qualifying for Top Trans-Am Driver Randy Ruhlman at Molson Indy Toronto

Toronto, Ontario (July 8, 2004) ‹Top Trans-Am driver Randy Ruhlman has once
again qualified in the Fast Five in the Motorock Trans-am Championship.
Ruhlman, who was on the front row last week with former Trans-Am Champion
and this weekıs the Jaguar pole sitter Tommy Kendall, qualified for
tomorrowıs race at the Molson Indy Toronto with a time of 1:12.846, just
0.286 seconds off the third place time of Jaguar driver Paul Gentilozzi.

 

Ruhlman is also coming off a podium finish at Infineon Raceway and a fourth
place finish last weekend at Cleveland and is looking to put his street
course expertise to the test in Saturdayıs Molson Indy Toronto Trans-Am
race. The race is scheduled to begin at 3 PM.  Ruhlman, one of just four
drivers with track experience here, is joined this week by top Corvette
factory and Canadian driver Ron Fellows in a two car Corvette assault on the
Jaguars at this tight fast street course.

 

Driving his Preformed Line Products Canada/ Coyote Closure Chevrolet
Corvette, Randy Ruhlman commented after qualifying, ³I have been looking
forward to driving this circuit again for a long time.  It can be a bit
intimidating, but I got the hang of it and remembered it right away.  We had
the second fastest time there for awhile in qualifying, but I got hung up
with a bit of traffic and we decided to hold off and save the tires for the
race. You always want to go out and prove how fast you are in qualifying,
but I just really needed to be in the front five and have a good car for the
race.  And we made our goal. I am right behind Paul [Gentilozzi] on the
inside, so we will see how the race plays out.  Ron had a strong run,
qualifying second, so I think we are in good shape for the race.  It will be
great to try to get two Corvettes up on that podium. I really like fast,
tight, challenging courses, so it will be great to get back to racing within
the walls here.²

 

Ruhlman commented about having a teammate for this race, ³Ron Fellows is a
great driver and teammate, and we have been friends for probably more years
than either of us would like to admit.  We both started in Showroom Stock
Series, but this is the first time we have been teammates.  We will be
running together in again in three weeks at Trois Rivieres. Ron and I will
be trying for a one-two finish at both of these Canadian races. The two of
us are working well as together, and have very similar things to say about
the handling. We have been able to both work with our engineer Leigh
Pettipas to make the car even better for the race.  It should be a fun
race.²

 

The cars take to the streets of the 1.75-mile, 11-turn temporary street
course at Exhibition Place in Toronto at 3PM on Saturday, July 9th.  The
Trans-Am Series Championship race is part of the Molson Indy Toronto weekend
and is scheduled for Saturday, July 11. The race will start at 3 p.m.,
immediately following the Champ Car qualifying.  The race will be broadcast
LIVE on HDNet, with tape-delayed highlights coverage on Spike TVıs popular
³Dangerous Curves² timeslot, Sunday, July 18 at 1:30 p.m. (EDT/PDT).

 

The Molson Indy Toronto will be Ruhlmanıs 142nd start in Trans-Am.  Ruhlman
is currently tied for seventh with 78 Championship points going into Round
Five of the Motorock Trans-Am Series at Toronto, just two points out of
fifth. 

 

 

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 fifth 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.

 

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