Ruhlman overcomes obstacles to start race, starting from the back still looking for a win

Randy Ruhlman
No. 49 Preformed Line Products Chevrolet Corvette

CONTACT:  Cristi Brumm Ruhlman
336-210-0380 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ruhlman overcomes obstacles to start race, starting from the back still
looking for a win 

CLEVELAND (June 25, 2005) ‹ Randy Ruhlman, a native of Cleveland and the
current Trans-Am points leader, returned home to race in today's Trans-Am on
the Tarmac at Cleveland's Burke Airport.  Already though, he has had to
overcome some tough obstacles to make the race. But race he will, as Ruhlman
will have to start starting from the back of the grid in his #49 Preformed
Line Products Corvette when a part broke sending Ruhlman into the barriers
in the first practice session.

 

         Fresh off a win at Long Beach and a second place finish last week
in Portland, Ruhlman in his #49 Corvette opened practice yesterday with the
second fastest time of the morning.  On the final lap of the session,
adversity struck. While going down the straight away at 150 miles per hour
something broke, and sent Ruhlman and the Corvette straight into the
concrete barrier.  The impact destroyed the front end of the car.  The
entire left side of the suspension and nose of the car was crushed; yet the
team spirits were not.

 

While Ruhlman was taken to the Champ Car Medical center and was released
unhurt, the team set to work on the car.  The broken parts and engine were
removed, as the chassis builder boarded a plane in Minneapolis to help with
the repairs.  Working throughout the night the team, welded pounded,
repaired and replaced the entire front end of the car.  By morning, when the
eager, but sore driver, returned to the track, the car was waiting, ready to
go.

 

Ruhlman promptly went out and topped the leader board with the fast lap in
the final practice session before the race.  Ruhlman was pleased with the
car and the handling, and just wanted just some minor changes before the
race.  

 

"The guys worked so quickly and well together.  This is an exceptional team
that will do whatever it takes to try to win the Championship.  We're going
to have to start at the back of the field since we missed, not only the
second practice session, but we also missed qualifying.  I think we have a
very fast car, and while I'll need to get through traffic to get up to the
Jaguars up front, winning from the back has been done before. I think we
have just the car to be up there again," says Ruhlman.

 

The 48-lap, 101.088-mile race will be held today at 3:30 EDT and broadcast
with live timing and scoring on http://www.trans-amseries.com
<http://www.trans-amseries.com/> .

 

Randy Ruhlman finished third overall in the 2004 Trans-Am Driveršs
Championship, in the closest points battle ever in Trans-Am history.  Last
year, Ruhlman scored seven straight top five finishes, including three
podiums: a second at Road America, another second at Toronto, and a third at
Infineon.  He was the pole sitter for the Road America race and sat on the
front row for the Cleveland Grand Prix.  Randy Ruhlman is fourth in Top Ten
finishes in Trans-Am history.

 

Randy Ruhlman recently spent time between races working with the Buckle Up
America program to promote seat belt use.  Ruhlman was the keynote speaker
at the Cleveland House of Blues Kick-off of the Northeast Ohio "Click It or
Ticket" campaign.  The program was spearheaded by UHHS Rainbow Babies &
Childrenšs Hospitalšs Outreach Program.  Ruhlman also continues to work
closely with the Lance Armstrong Foundation, especially in helping to
promote the Tour de Road America, coming up on August 20th, to raise money
for cancer survivorship.

 

Founded in 1947, Preformed Line Products is an international
designer and manufacturer of products and systems employed in the
construction and maintenance of overhead and underground networks for
energy, communications and broadband network companies.

 

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the Company operates three domestic
manufacturing centers, located in Rogers, Arkansas, Albemarle, North
Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina.  Preformed serves worldwide markets
through international operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
England, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.

 

For additional information about the driver, sponsor, or charity programs:

 

Preformed Line Products      http://www.preformed.com
<http://www.preformed.com/>

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

Buckle Up America        http://buckleupamerica.org
<http://buckleupamerica.org/>

Lance Armstrong Foundation      http://www.laf.org <http://www.laf.org/>

 

 

# # #

 

 

Contact:

Cristi Brumm

Ruhlman Marketing, Inc.

336-210-0980

marketing@ruhlmanmotorsports.com