Rick Ruch wins 2003 RAMS Championship

NEW FLORENCE, Mo. -- (Sept. 20, 2003) Following a long 10-race series that covered five tracks and hundreds of travel miles, Rick Ruch of Perryville was crowned the 2003 RAMS Point Series Champion Saturday night at the Montgomery County Speedway.

"This is absolutely the best thing ever," said an elated Ruch. "We've worked so long and hard for this."

The 27-year-old Ruch is in his third year in the seat of a RAMS mini stock car with this being his first major title.

Going into the night at the Montgomery County Speedway, Ruch led Dave "The Wolf" Wofford of Farmington by only five points. Wofford had cut into Ruch's lead the previous night at the Fredericktown Raceway and had his eyes set directly on Ruch going into the final night of competition. "I was just looking at it like another race," Ruch said. "I didn't want to be too nervous and screw up."

Ruch was able to stretch his lead just a bit in the early stages of the night on Saturday as he won the heat race with Wofford taking second place. That meant Wofford was going to have to defeat Ruch by three places in the feature in order to overtake him.

In the feature, Wofford charged out to a lead with Ruch and Kenny Harris in hot pursuit, but nobody else in the field challenged the top three. Wofford sailed across the finish line with the win, but Ruch's second place finish was all he needed to secure the RAMS Point Series title.

"It's really hard to describe how I feel," Ruch said. "This is just great."

Ruch's first year was 2001 and he finished third in points at the Doe Run Raceway, then in 2002 he finished sixth in the RAMS Points Series before capturing second place at the Fredericktown Raceway in 2003. He is sponsored by S&P Racing Engines, SEMO Classic Mustang, DJ Stereo, American Family Insurance, Nation's Starter and Alternator and Brewer Graphics.

"I really wanted to thank my Mom, Dad and my brother for helping me this season," Ruch said.

He also said a big pat on the back went to his crew Henry and Jim Kirn, Chasity Dillman, Joe Payner and Ron Buchheit.

Wofford finished the season just four points behind Ruch in second place with Marty Boyer of Potosi taking third and Joe Meyer of Sikeston finishing in fourth place.

The 2003 RAMS Point Series was sponsored by Boyer Siding of Potosi, Bail Bonding Associates of Park Hills, Convenience Barns of Farmington & Desloge, Burch Fencing of Farmington, Accounting Services Unlimited of Park Hills and Johnson DanMar Racing Products of Bonne Terre.

For more information on the RAMS contact association president Jeff Mills at (573) 747-0566 or vice-president Shannon Burch at (573) 747-1492. Because of the growing success of the RAMS Mini Stocks, the class will apparently be expanding to the Montgomery County Speedway on a limited basis in 2004 with the cars and trucks running at the track at least once a month. The RAMS are also a weekly feature at the Fredericktown Raceway.

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