Corvette Driver Randy Ruhlman Continues Top Five Streak in the Trans-Am at first round of practice for the Trois-Rivieres Race

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Corvette Driver Randy Ruhlman Continues Top Five Streak in the Trans-Am at
first round of practice for the Trois-Rivieres Race

 

Trois-Rivieres, Quebec (July 29, 2004)  -- Randy Ruhlman returned today to
the tight street course at the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres in Round Six of
the Motorock Trans-Am Series.  Ruhlman was fourth fastest with a time of
1:05.804, and then fifth in the second session with an slightly improved
time of 1:05.736 for Sunday afternoon¹s race.  Ruhlman, who finished second
at Trois Rivieres in 2002 and third in last year¹s Trans-Am race is looking
towards the race to make it three podiums in a row at this track.

 

            Driving the blue and white #49 Preformed Line Products
Canada/Coyote Closure, Ruhlman is the top Corvette driver in the Trans-Am
Series and is coming into the race at Trois-Rivieres with an impressive
string of top finishes.  Ruhlman, currently third in the Drivers¹
Championship points race, scored a second place finish two weeks ago in
Toronto, a fourth at Cleveland, and another podium, a third, at Infineon
Raceway.  

 

            The team did some minor changes on the car between sessions, and
hope to make a few small adjustments before tomorrow morning¹s qualifying
session.  Ruhlman said after the session, ³The track is very bumpy, but it
is always bumpy.  And it is always hard on brakes, but we will be alright
out there. That is where good shock control comes into the setup.  I think
we are in good shape for the race.  The car feels good, and it is fun to run
out there.²

 

³ If we can do well in qualifying tomorrow, that will be a bonus,² continues
Ruhlman.  ³But the thing we are concentrating on is the race.  This race is
notorious for being a really difficult, long, hot race.  It doesn¹t really
matter how fast you go in qualifying, what matters is here is how well you
race, especially in the second half of the race.  And keeping tires and
keeping brakes under the car are going to be two of the most important
things about this whole racetrack.  And right now we are good shape right
there.  We can turn our practice times all day without hurting the car or
damaging the tires, or running out the brakes.  So I think we will do well.²

 

A rainy forecast for tomorrow¹s qualifying has Ruhlman saying, ³If it rains
tomorrow, we¹ll just be going to go out there to put in a time to get on the
grid for the race.  We are not going to risk putting it into the wall or
anything for a rainy qualifying .  I think we are in good shape now matter
what.²

 

Le Grand Prix du Trois-Rivieres will be Ruhlman¹s 143rd start in Trans-Am.
The 66 lap, 100.32 mile Motorock Trans-Am race will be run on Sunday, August
1st at 3:45PM EDT.  The track is a 1.52-mile, nine turn temporary street
course located in the town of Trois Rivieres, about an hour east of
Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

 

 

         Randy Ruhlman finished sixth overall in 2003 in the Drivers¹
Championship in a Derhaag Motorsports Corvette. He was seventh overall in
2002 while 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.

 

 

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Cristi Brumm Ruhlman

336-210-0980

marketing@ruhlmanmotorsports.com 

http://www.ruhlmanmotorsports.com <http://www.ruhlmanmotorsports.com/>