The drivers are in for a real treat this weekend, racing on the newly paved 3.4-mile “long course.” The track completed an $11 million repaving project, which kicked off in August 2015. Ruman was among the special guests invited to the track for the ribbon cutting ceremony held on April 15th, and took part in the tracks festivities.

“I am really excited to be back racing at the Glen! It is my favorite track of all time, and now with the repaving, it looks to be faster than ever. I had the opportunity to take a few laps around here a month ago and it was really awesome, they did a fantastic job on the new surface,” stated Ruman.

In her quest for a second Championship, Ruman in the No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette is the current points leader in the TA class. She is looking to carry her momentum to the Glen after her win at Road Atlanta on April 10th, where she led every session of the weekend. 66 entries are scheduled to run in this weekend’s event across the five different TA classes in two races on Sunday May 15th.

Thanks to the Classic Tube race sponsorship, weekend tickets will be available to fans at the gate for $30, which includes access to the paddock and garage areas. All grandstands around the facility will also be open, giving fans several great perspectives of the on-track action. Camping is also available, visit theglen.com for more details.

Watkins Glen – Trans Am Round 3 event schedule (EST):
Friday May 13, 2016
Promoter’s Test Day

Saturday May 14, 2016
8:50 – 9:20 AM Trans Am TA2 practice
9:20 – 9:50 AM Trans AM TA/TA3/TA4/TA5 practice
1:45 – 2:05 PM Trans Am TA2 “One Shot” Qualifying
2:05 – 2:25 PM Trans Am TA “One Shot” Qualifying
2:25 – 2:45 PM Trans Am TA3/TA4/TA5 “One Shot” Qualifying

Sunday May 15, 2016
9:20 – 10:30 PM TA2, powered by AEM Race, 102 miles, 30 laps or 70 minutes
3:40 – 4:50 PM TA/TA3/TA4/TA5 Classic Tube 100 Race, 102 miles, 30 laps or 70 minutes

Visit gotransam.com for tickets, full schedule, and all other weekend information.

Sponsor: McNICHOLS CO. is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials–stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 mcnichols.com.

TEAM RELEASE: Austin, Texas November 10, 2015 – It was a Texas sized weekend for the Trans Am Series and it was Ruman who had a Texas sized win late Saturday evening at the Circuit of the America’s (COTA) course. Ruman garnered her 7th win on the season and gained valuable Championship points heading into the final round.

The inaugural Trans Am Series race at COTA was set to be a big battle between Ruman and Fix, who were only separated by 11 points heading into Round 11. The rain held off for most of the weekend, until race day Saturday morning. It was a very cool, windy 57°, skies eventually remained cloudy and the track started to dry for the 4:15pm CT race.

Ruman did not have the qualifying session she hoped for and put the No. 23 McNichols/Don Sitts Auto Chevrolet Corvette 5th on the grid for the start of the race as competitor Fix secured the pole position. However, the start of the race proved to be strong for Ruman as she immediately jolted up to 2nd place by the exit of turn one. She then went to work, keeping close pace with Fix who was running in first. The one-two pair ran out in front of the pack for a dozen laps. Ruman took over the lead as Fix suffered a mechanical failure on lap 12. After a series of cautions, Ruman and Ebben put on a true Trans Am showdown in the final laps of the race, with Ruman edging him out for the win on the final lap of the race.

“We had an excellent start to the race,” said Ruman. “We took them three wide into one, made up some ground and moved from fifth to second right off the bat. Then I was right with Paul the whole time; he was setting good lap times but so was I. I knew he was quicker in a couple spots, and then I was a little quicker in a couple spots. I just wanted to let the race come to me and be patient. After he (Paul) broke down, we went past him and set sail a little bit. We encountered a little engine problem—we broke a header and went down a cylinder. But we knew the yellow was coming so my main focus was to stay smart out there, try and get the win if possible, or stay on the podium— just get as many points as we could. Cliff got by me on the restart, then we had another yellow, and on another restart I made my move—we went side by side through the entirety of the esses and I finally passed him on the uphill. We went through probably five turns side by side; it was amazing. We didn’t touch each other—that’s what Trans Am Racing is all about. It’s won on the track, not off the track. We have respect for each other, and I couldn’t be more proud of my team. To God be the Glory on this one!”

With this win, Ruman (312) now has a 25 point lead over Fix (287), but Ruman still needs some valuable points this weekend at Daytona to ultimately wrap up her first Trans Am Championship. Ruman also received the Coolshirt Systems “Cool Move of the Race” for her final pass for the lead over Cliff Ebben on the last lap of the race.

“We needed this—we needed a points gap again,” said Ruman. “We’ve been struggling since the Mid-Ohio debacle, and this is what we needed to boost our points effort. But it’s not over yet; we’re going to go into Daytona and try our best and make it eight wins in 12 races.”

Ruman heads to Daytona as the defending race winner from last year’s season finale. Last year’s win at Daytona also marked a place in the history books as she became the first woman to claim the overall victory in a professional automobile race at Daytona. Ruman looks to make history once more as she tries to become the first female Trans Am Champion.

“I can’t wait to get back on track at Daytona International Speedway. It’s so awesome to race at such an iconic track,” exclaimed Ruman. “The Championship is not over yet, so I have to run smart and keep my eyes on the prize; as I’ve said all season long, we are in it to win it!”

The team completed an extremely quick turnaround on the car and headed 1,100 miles over to Daytona for the load in on Tuesday. 69 entries are set for the weekend and teams can participate in a promoter’s test day on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 and the official Trans Am weekend will start on Thursday November 12th. First practice session will be at 11:00 a.m. ET, then “Fast Five” qualifying for the 16-car TA class will be at 4:30pm, followed by TA2 and TA3. Friday will be the second official practice session at 12:30pm. The Bullet Liner 100, 103.24 mile, 29-lap final race of the 2015 Trans Am Championship will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Visit gotransam.com for ticket, full schedule, and all other weekend information.

October 20, 2015 (New York, New York) –

Pirelli World Challenge Road Racer and IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racer Shea Holbrook attends the Women’s Sports Foundations Annual Salute tonight in New York City. Holbrook, representing Women in Motorsports alongside seven-time Indianapolis 500 driver and mentor, Lyn St. James will be in attendance as well as many world-class female athletes.

Auto Racer, Shea Holbrook attends the 36th Annual Salute to Women In Sports at Cipriani Wall Street on October 20, 2015 in New York City.
Auto Racer, Shea Holbrook attends the 36th Annual Salute to Women In Sports at Cipriani Wall Street on October 20, 2015 in New York City.

Founded in 1974 by tennis legend, Billie Jean King, the Women’s Sports Foundation is dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity.

During the 2013 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Indianapolis, Indiana Holbrook was recognized by the Women’s Sports Foundation for her on and off track efforts as a leading female in the motorsport community. She also became a recipient of the “Women’s Sports Foundation’s Women in the Winners Circle Project Podium Grant,” designed to help young racers overcome the business challenges unique to motorsports.

“I’m incredibly honored and thrilled to be a part of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Women in the Winners Circle Project Podium Grant and to be celebrating amazing Women in Sports tonight at the Annual Salute. Having the opportunity to collaborate with the foundation making strides in the advancement of women in motorsports is truly amazing and humbling,” said Holbrook.

Holbrook graduated from the Lyn St. James, Women in the Winners Circle in 2008 and went on to race in the Pirelli World Challenge Championships while advancing her racecraft, brand and entrepreneurial aspirations. Her first mark in history was in 2011 where she became the first female to win a Touring Car race at the famous Long Beach Grand Prix. She went on to launch a multi-car effort becoming co-owner, driver and brand ambassador at Shea Racing, LLC. in 2013. Later during the following season Holbrook, team and partners lead the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car A Championship although ended up as runner ups at the last race of the season successfully securing 2nd place in the championship.

About The Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation, founded in 1974, is the leader in promoting sports, health and education for girls and women. With Billie Jean King as its founder and ongoing visionary, the Women’s Sports Foundation continues to have a profound impact on female athletics, from its vigorous advocacy of Title IX legislation to providing grants and scholarships, grassroots programs for underserved girls, and groundbreaking research. An agent for change, the foundation has relationships with more than 1,000 of the world’s elite female athletes and is recognized globally for its leadership, vision, strength, expertise and influence. For more information, visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org. Follow the Foundation at www.Facebook.com/WomensSportsFoundation or on Twitter (@WomensSportsFdn).

Thunder Valley Racing’s very own Karen Salvaggio has embarked on a nearly year-long adventure in support of Project Valkyrie. The first project under the Warrior Projects banner, Project Valkyrie is a hands-on restoration and classic car rebuild opportunity to connect women aspiring to careers in the automotive and motorsports industries with women already working in the industry.

As Karen noted, “I am very fortunate to be involved in this project, and to have partnered with five amazing women; Susan Carpenter of JR Products, Nan Gelhard with Summit Racing, Christina Kwan of Kwan International, JoAnn Bortles, Crazy Horse Paint, and Julia Johnson of Skyline College, who collectively, brought this project to life. The support we have received from the automotive after market industry has been simply overwhelming!”

We encourage you to visit Project Valkyrie online, and to lend financial support through their crowd funding effort which will allow other women from around the country to participate! Every dollar counts, and will help women realize their dream of finding a rewarding career in the automotive industry!!!

Project Valkyrie Mission Statement
To encourage participation of women in all aspects of the automotive industry.

An Idea is Born
Although women in the automotive and racing industries have come a long way, we still have a long way to go. The Valkyrie Project began as an idea during a discussion with key industry leaders at the 2014 SEMA Show. Initially the discussion was simply about a build, but this spark was the onset to an idea that began to grow.

Enthusiasm. Our desire is to embark on a project that is beyond what has been done before. We strive to “move the needle” for young women who are looking to succeed in the industry.

The Facts

• The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence reports that the number of certified female technicians has more than tripled in the last ten years, yet women still represent less than one percent of the total ASE-certified technicians.
• Seven women are among the top 52 corporate officers at Ford Motor Company – a leading statistic in the industry. Ford’s number of female engineers has more than doubled since 1990 while the number of men has increased approximately 21%.
• Women are good for the industry. Gender diversity in the work place provides different ways of thinking – relational, value centered etc. Jennifer Moran opened a car dealership in 2009 at the height of the recession and has become the number one dealer in the State of Washington. What factors contributed to Moran’s success? Core values-based marketing, a strong sense of community responsibility and a focus on building relationships are just a few of the reasons for her success.

The Platform
The Valkyrie Project will showcase the wide range of talented women in the automotive industry. This project serves to inspire women to explore their interests in the fields of automotive and motorsports. The 1969 AMC AMX project vehicle will serve as a platform for women in the industry to design, fabricate and ultimately build a uniquely powerful and equally beautiful car. After the AMX’s showcase on the Hot Rod Power Tour, it will be prepared to go out and race.

www.warriorprojects.com

It was hot all weekend long as temperatures reached the upper 80’s yet feeling like 90+ degrees on race day, which made for a slick race surface and intense cockpit temps for the drivers. After a tight “fast five qualifying” round on Friday afternoon, in only her second time at Homestead, Ruman took the 3rd place slot on the starting grid for Sunday’s race behind Lopez and Gregg, with Peterson and Baucom rounding out the top five.

The race start was smooth into turn 1 and it was Lopez, Gregg, Ruman, Peterson, and Baucom running nose to tail. On lap 6 Ruman passed Gregg for second place in the oval and tried to stick with Lopez. On lap 20 Lopez’s Corvette lost a right rear tire sending him into the wall on the exit of the oval heading onto the front straight. As the course fell under caution, Ruman slotted into first, with Baucom and Barcenas rounding out the top 3. On the restart, Barcenas had problems sending him off course and the caution came out again, with Ebben now in third. Ruman had another solid restart staying out in front, with Baucom coming on strong and Ruman maintaining a 1.5-2.0 second lead. Despite late race efforts pressuring Ruman a few times, Baucom lost oil pressure in the last turn costing him a 2nd place finish, as Ruman cruised to take the checkered followed by Ebben and Fix as Baucom coasted to fourth.

“Today was all about patience and perseverance,” said Ruman. “This No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette was awesome today, the guys, my crew, I couldn’t do this without my parents, Dave, Mike, Bryan, Eric and Jerry… my crew made this win happen. And without McNichols Company, none of this possible. They got us this win today. RJ was the guy to beat today and unfortunately he had a tire issue. We just wanted to be patient and consistent throughout the race, Baucom poured it on in the end but we knew he was there. I couldn’t be happier, I’m not going to take anything for granted, we’re scraping for every point we can get and we’re going to keep taking this one race at a time and one podium at a time.”

Ruman makes it seven career Trans Am victories this weekend and remains first in the Championship points standings heading to Round 3 at Road Atlanta May 9th.

Sponsor: McNICHOLS CO. is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials–stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 mcnichols.com.

For quick news and updates during race weekends, please follow Ruman Racing and the Trans Am Series on Twitter: @rumanracing and @gotransam. Be sure to “Like” our official pages on Facebook: Ruman Racing, Amy Ruman (Official Fan Page), McNichols Company, and Go Trans Am.

Race Info/Scoring/Results: www.gotransam.com
Live Timing/Twitter Feed: www.gotransam.com/live-timing-and-scoring/

Ruman Racing, Inc., is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

McNICHOLS Nationwide Service Centers is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials— stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 www.mcnichols.com

When I checked in at the OPTIMA Battery booth at the SEMA Show, I was very pleased to learn a number of women drivers would be competing in this year’s event. As a Corvette owner and enthusiast for many years, Jane Thurmond’s 1964 Corvette entry immediately caught my eye. Jane graciously agreed to a brief interview at SEMA, and as we spoke, I knew following her competitive drive at the invitational event would be interesting and lots of fun.

Jane’s racing career began just one short year ago, and in that time, she has learned a lot. Her focus is upon building her driving skills as well as developing the physical and mental strength it takes to drive competitively. Jane also believes in living life to its fullest, and wants to send an important message to other women that life doesn’t end when the kids are grown and off to college. As Jane says, “I want to show the world that at ANY age we can have a rocking good time and do things others may not think possible.”

When asked about her preparation for the event, Jane shared, “Something that I feel is essential to any individual who wishes to compete in motor sports is to participate in a regular fitness program. My choice is yoga. I’ve been practicing for more than a year regularly and it has improved my racing ability tenfold. At first I started to be more at ease at the starting line. But what has happened over the last year has been so much more than just that. Less head drama, better track awareness, and no exhaustion after a day or two on the track. To prep for SEMA, I ramped up my workout and added the 30-Day Squat Challenge. Virtually no residual pain or recovery time necessary after that long week!”

Jane’s husband Greg, a competitor himself, designed and built the Corvette they co-drive. Jane’s “ticket” to the Las Vegas Invitational event came at the Portland Ultimate Street Car competition held earlier this year, where she earned the K&N Filter “Spirit of the Event” award. It was clear that Jane was excited to be at the event, and that she was taking the competition seriously.

When asked how the car performed, Jane noted, “I believe I mentioned our car has a name – Scarlett. She performed incredibly! Light and nimble in the auto cross with a short wheel base! Our suspension has been fine-tuned by my amazing husband. This has been a year in the making, if you will. Switching out sway bars and shocks to find the right combination. Adjusting the camber, watching tire pressure. Right now we have RideTech shocks and Falken Azenis Tires (sponsors), and this seems to be working great.”

The car looked like it was hooked up very well on track, and Jane’s big smile at the start let us all know that she was having a blast driving the car. Jane shared some of the preparation work that went into the car before the event. “Greg put in a new power steering pump and rack before this event that worked brilliantly. Street Tune for The Win handled our engine tuning, and that helps to keep me off the rev limiter! But so did changing the gearing! As for future improvements? I want more power. This little car has about 420 HP. If I could get my hands on a super charger, I think I could solve that issue and run a little stronger in both the speed stop challenge and road course. The high powered beasts leave me in the straight-a-ways!”

While still somewhat new to driving events, Jane says she enjoys all types of competition. But this year’s street car invitational would test every driver to the limit, and require competitors to run the gauntlet of performance. Competition events included the Wilwood Speed Stop Challenge, the RideTech Street Challenge Autocross, and the BF Goodrich Hot Lap Challenge.

With this many challenges, which event did Jane enjoy the most? “I’d have to say that my favorite part of the competition was definitely the autocross. This was my first experience with a mirrored track that allowed me to actually race another competitor. The result was amazing. I drove faster and better and had greater confidence. Sure it’s awesome to race a clock for time. To set up and go when you’re ready. But the added element of wanting to leave the line first, cross over the finish line first – now that’s a rush! …..Least favorite part – seeing the weekend of bliss come to an end. Actually a friend, Mike Cavanagh, that we race with regularly, had some difficulty with his braking system, and to keep from causing a small disaster he chose to steer away from the crowd and in the process compromised his front end. Definitely my least favorite part of the event.”

It was a true joy to meet Jane last weekend, and from the enthusiasm she displayed, along with her driving performance, we know she’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Jane provided us some great overall reflections on the weekend, as well as outlining her plans for the future.

“Truthfully I had the time of my life. Having been a full time mom and wife for the past 25 years, I’ve had the luxury of enjoying everything imaginable with my kids. But now as they have one by one left the nest, my husband and I have found something that we LOVE to do together. Almost like picking up where we left off before having our amazing kids. A real thrill for me was to have my youngest son (16) come up and give me a high five after each run, each event. The pride in which my husband gushed when he shared with me that a woman standing next to him during auto cross exclaimed, “That’s an *****ing woman driving that car!” Then he promptly responded with, “That’s my wife”! The absolute sense of community between racers, families and fans is unreal. I imagine as more time passes I will grow even fonder of each memory of my experience with OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational.”

Jane’s goals are to continue to improve her driving skills, and to become even more hands-on with the car. Husband Greg is in the process of building a second car so they can each have their own ride next year, which will require Jane to step in with the maintenance and preparation on her own car. Jane is totally up for it though, and is looking forward to everything the future holds. Jane shared her overall thoughts on the event with us, stating, “I finished 46th (in the competition) which is awesome. I saw who I finished behind and who I finished ahead of, and I couldn’t be happier with where I placed. My first road course and speed stop challenge was at USCA Fontana on Father’s Day in June 2014. OUSCI was my third event for speed stop and second for road course. For having very little experience and instruction, like I said I couldn’t be happier.”

Special thanks to the staff at OPTIMA Batteries, including Scott Parkhurst, for hosting another awesome Ultimate Street Car Invitational. We look forward to following Jane’s racing career, and believe she will inspire other women to get behind the wheel!

Covering the story for Thunder Valley Racing, the premier online news source for women in racing, I decided to follow racer Brandy Phillips as she wound her way through the driving events. Brandy is a seasoned competitor, having campaigned a 1970 Camaro under the Spectre Performance banner in the past. This year’s street car invitational, however, would serve as Brandy’s comeback event after taking nearly three years off for the birth of her son, Parker. Racing is a family affair for Brandy, and now ready to get back behind the wheel, her husband Rob, a master car builder himself, took the lead in preparing a custom built C10R truck, powered by an LS engine producing 585hp and a ground- gripping 575lb ft. of torque.

Just two days earlier, Brandy was not even sure she’d have the opportunity to compete in this year’s invitational, and was genuinely thrilled to receive the last OPTIMA “Golden Ticket” to the event. When asked about the Golden Ticket and what it meant to compete in the event, Brandy shared, “We had built the our ‘72 C10 (C10R) for SEMA as a Spectre Booth vehicle with the hopes of getting one of ten Golden Tickets into OUSCI the Thursday before the event. We were very fortunate to be chosen as the last Golden Ticket entry during the press conference in the Optima Batteries Booth. The truck was literally finished the day before leaving for SEMA. We only had 8 autocross laps at an event the weekend before to make sure the truck actually worked and wouldn’t fall apart. My main priority going into OUSCI was to keep the truck intact and not crash.

“This being a fresh build; I was still learning about the truck. Furthermore, I needed to regain my confidence. I knew that competing in this race would help build my confidence after having been out of the driver’s seat for almost three years. Lastly, I wanted to make sure I had a great time. Rob had competed in OUSCI with his ‘69 C10 back in 2010. He kept reminding me that the race goes by so quick, many forget to enjoy it while they are there. This was some of the best advice all weekend.”

First up in the competition events was the Wilwood Speed Stop Challenge; a tough place to begin for a driver with an all-new vehicle. As Brandy noted, “I knew from past race events that the speed stop was the event I least enjoyed, so I was glad to have that first and get it over with. I wasn’t very good at the speed stop, but I knew that going into the race. Though I felt it was a complete disaster, I put on a great show for the spectators and the TV crew. Like Jimi Day, the event coordinator always says, “If you can’t win, be spectacular.” Well, I accomplished that…”

The autocross competition was next, and was set up as two mirror courses with competitors running “heads up” against the clock. With many autocross competitions under her belt, this driving event was more suited to Brandy’s prior driving experience. As she noted, “I am a fan of autocross. You can do terrible in the beginning, but have several laps to improve your times throughout the day. Though you are still competing with other’s times, autocross is a race against your own times. OUSCI did make it a little more complicated by having a mirrored autocross so two cars could run at the same time; almost as if it were a race. This made things a little more entertaining for both the crowd and the drivers. Though a car would get to the finish line first, that didn’t always mean they won; a cone could have been knocked down or they could have gone off course. I had the opportunity to race Jane Thurmond and it was honestly the best time I had all weekend. It didn’t matter at that point who won; we just wanted to show everyone that these two girls were out having the time of our lives.”

The road course event would take place on Sunday, and in the overnight hours, Brandy decided to make some changes when she arrived at the track. “I was put in the advance group, but dropped down to the novice group after the lead follow laps. Though I probably could have kept up with the vehicles in the advance group, I felt that I might push the truck beyond my comfort level; possibly resulting in going off course or even worse, crashing. Though my pride had been shot down a little, I was proud of myself for admitting I needed to go into the novice group and work my way up from there. I had a lot more fun in that group, and was able to work on my lines rather than worrying about getting in the way of those behind me.”

At the end of the competition, Corvette Z06 driver Danny Popp came out on top, and secured the 2014 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car title. So, you ask, how did Brandy fare overall? When asked about her performance and experience at the OUSCI event, Brandy stated “The overall scores were just released yesterday afternoon, and I placed 67th out of 100 competitors. At first I shook my head and laughed. It was better than last! I am honestly thrilled I placed 67th though. My husband and I built a truck right before SEMA, had the opportunity to compete at OUSCI and the truck didn’t have any problems. That within itself is a huge victory. Besides, I can only improve from here since OUSCI marked the first official event for the truck going into 2015. I can’t wait to see my individual scores though. I think I was able to improve each time out and can’t wait to see my personal improvements throughout the weekend.”

With an attitude like that, we think Brandy will do just fine in her racing future. She has an amazing family and team to support her, and it’s clear when you meet her that her heart is very much behind the wheel. We can’t wait to watch her compete in 2015!

Special thanks to Scott Parkhurst with OPTIMA Battery, and to the sponsors for their generous support in making this event possible. We look forward to next year’s OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational. Who knows, maybe we’ll bring a trusty steed of our own!

The 2014 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational was presented by K&N Filters. This year’s event sponsors were BFGoodrich, Detroit Speed, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, Ridetech, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Snap-On tools, Jet-Hot Coatings, Red Line Oil, Showtime Motorsports and the MAVTV Network. The 2014 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational event will be broadcast on the MAVTV Network on November 21 at 8:00 PM EST.

“I’ve been looking forward to another shot at Daytona,” stated Ruman, who was taken out of the race on the first lap last year. “It is only my second time here so I’m looking to improve my times and speed every session I’m out there.”

“We’ve had a lot of great racing this year in Trans Am and I know we’ll put on a good show at Daytona this weekend. We really wanted the Championship title and it just didn’t happen for us this year, so I’ll be aiming for a win and will continue to chase Gregg for 2nd place overall.”

Teams can participate in a promoter’s test day on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 and the official Trans Am weekend will start on Thursday. First practice session will be at 11:00 a.m. EST, followed by a second practice later in the day at 4:45 p.m. Trans Am qualifying will take place on Friday, at 11:30 a.m., with the TA2 and TA3 classes to follow separately at 12:30 p.m. The 103.24 mile, 29-lap final race of the 2014 Trans Am Championship will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

Sponsor: McNICHOLS Nationwide Service Centers is the nation’s largest distributor of Perforated and Expanded Metals; Wire Mesh; Bar, Plank, and Safety Gratings; Stair Treads; Matting; and more. Products are carried in all styles and materials–stocked for 24 hour shipment. “Inspired to Serve”™ 800.237.3820 mcnichols.com.

Ruman will be targeting another strong result in the No. 23 McNichols Chevrolet Corvette, coming off her victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park two weeks ago. It was at New Jersey that Ruman closed the gap on current points leader Doug Peterson, by capturing the pole position and leading flag to flag taking the checkered in her fourth career win. There will be plenty of action this weekend with an expected combined-class 50 car field, the largest for Trans Am at the Wisconsin road course since 1977.

“I’m looking forward to the race this weekend, Road America is such an iconic track and I love racing here,” exclaimed Ruman. “I’m hoping to carry our momentum into this weekend, and I know my crew has prepped the car to be fast again. I love the crowd here, it is always amazing and the fans have a great time.”

The point race is heating up at the halfway point in the season. Ruman (130) is now within 2 points of Peterson (132) for the Championship lead, and Gregg is sitting in third with 122 points.

“We have our work cut out for us, it’s like the season is starting all over again and we have six races to go. It’s anyone’s game at this point. We just have to be consistent, fast, and be there at the end of the race,” stated Ruman.

The Trans Am class will see 17 entries, all battling for the top step on the podium. The track is hosting a test day on Thursday June 19th along with the first official Trans Am practice starting at 3:30pm. Friday will see the cars on track at 8:45am, followed by qualifying at 4:30pm. The field will see the green flag at 5:15pm on Saturday for the 101.2-mile race. All times listed are CDT.

The Trans Am Road America race will also be broadcast on a tape delay through a variety of networks, both regionally and nationally, to over 80 million households. Air times and further details regarding the air date and time will be announced shortly.

Realizing the need to attract more fans, NASCAR tried to throw themselves a lifeline some years back by developing the “Drive for Diversity Program.” The idea was to bring “diversity” to the NASCAR ranks, and the hope was that these “new” and different drivers would bring a “new” and different fan base. A number of talented individuals were identified and provided a one year “shot in the arm” through that program. The diversity program garnered big media attention (and probably made NASCAR feel good about themselves), but the overall success, as measured by the number of those drivers finding success in NASCARs upper divisions (zero), has been downright abysmal.

……And now a word on Danica Patrick (and for those that are done with the hype, I understand if you choose to launch out of hee….I’m not into the hype either). 2013 marks my 35th (consecutive) viewing of the Daytona 500. I watched last week’s qualifying, as I have watched 34 times before, and was I happy to see a woman set the fastest time? Sure, it’s great. However, as a racer, I am far more interested to see how Danica performs during the race. Despite all of the hype and expectations set upon her to “win” the race, I believe her best interest will be to keep her sites set (focus) on running a clean race and finishing. Period. Finishing well (top 10 would be great, but even top 15) would be excellent. Racing at Daytona, however, requires more than just driving skill, as drivers also need to have “friends (or at a minimum the professional respect) of your fellow drivers, along with phenominal driving talent.