Corvette Driver Randy Ruhlman Finishes Second at Molson Indy Toronto Trans-Am

Toronto, Ontario (July 10, 2004) ‹Toronto, Ontario (July 10, 2004) ‹Top
Trans-Am driver Randy Ruhlman finished second today in the Motorock Trans-Am
Series race and moved into third overall in the Driverıs Championship at the
Molson Indy Toronto.  Ruhlman was joined this week by top Corvette factory
and Canadian driver Ron Fellows in a two-car Corvette assault on the Jaguars
at this fast, tight street course.

 

Both Derhaag Motorsports Corvette drivers finished on the podium with
Ruhlman finishing second and Fellows third. Ruhlmanıs podium gives Corvette
its highest finish in the 2004 thus far.  They will be driving together
again at the next Trans-Am venue on the streets of Trois Rivieres on August
1st. 

 

Randy Ruhlman, driving the Preformed Line Products Canada/ Coyote Closure
Chevrolet Corvette, commented in the post-race press conference, ³We are
very please to be back on the podium.  It is a great finish for the team.
I know that Jorge [Diaz, the race winner] was worried about us at the end,
but we ran out of laps.  I just let the leaders get a bit too far ahead.  At
the beginning, we got a caught behind and went back to sixth, and the front
group split in two.  I made a pretty aggressive pass on Drissi and then
worked on getting back up front. It was fun, I really like this track and I
love Canada, we seem to always do well here.²

 

³Weıve run fast each race and have gotten better each time.  We are building
on our successes, and the crew is doing a great job for us. Ron was a big
help in the other Derhaag Motorsports Corvette. We worked well together, and
are good friends. It is also a pleasure to share the podium with a teammate.
Both of us are looking forward to being on the podium again at our next
race, Trois Rivieres,² finished Ruhlman.

 

This is Ruhlmanıs second podium of the year having scored a third at
Infineon Raceway, sharing the podium at that road course with Boris Said and
Tommy Kendall. Ruhlman finished a close fourth place last weekend at the
Cleveland Grand Prix.

 

The cars took to the streets of the 1.75-mile, 11-turn temporary street
course at Exhibition Place in Toronto at 3PM on Saturday, July 10th.  The
Trans-Am Series Championship race is part of the Molson Indy Toronto
weekend. The race was 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 was Ruhlmanıs 142nd start in Trans-Am.  Ruhlman is
currently third in Championship Points after Round Five of the Motorock
Trans-Am Series at Toronto, fourteen points from Diaz in second and 16
points from Gentilozzi in first.

 

 

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.

 

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.