Trois-Rivieres: Randy Ruhlman preview

Top Corvette Driver Randy Ruhlman Set to Defend Podium Finishes at Trois-Rivieres Trans-Am Race

Greensboro, NC (July 27, 2004) -- Randy Ruhlman will be returning this weekend to defend his repeat podium finishes at the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres in Round Six of the Motorock Trans-Am Series. Ruhlman finished second at Trois Rivieres in 2002 and third in last year's Trans-Am race driving the blue and white #49 Preformed Line Products Canada/Coyote Closure Corvette.

The top Corvette driver in the Trans-Am Series, Ruhlman will also be going into this next round of racing with an impressive string of top finishes. Ruhlman, currently third in the Drivers' 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 second at Toronto by Ruhlman gave Corvette its highest finish thus far in the 2004 Trans-Am Series season.

Ruhlman will be joined on the Derhaag Motorsports roster for the second time this year by a teammate. Top Corvette factory driver and Canadian Ron Fellows rejoins Ruhlman for second two-car Corvette assault on the Jaguars at this very fast, tight street course. Two week's ago, Ruhlman and Fellows finished second and third at Toronto and the two Corvette drivers hope to surpass that double podium finish with a first and second at Trois Rivieres. Fellows is a two time winner at Trois Rivieres (1995 and 1996), and Ruhlman was part of the one-two Corvette finish at Trois Rivieres in 2002 with his teammate at Tom Gloy Racing, Butch Leitzinger.

Ruhlman calls Trois Rivieres, "one of my favorite tracks and stops in the Trans-Am Series." "Whether it is the track, or the excitement the city generates, this race is always one that I look forward to year after year. We are always fast here and have always run well, too. We have even had our share of final lap excitement. I love to race in Canada, and have always done well up here for the fans. Also, I am very happy with the way things are going this year. And that is a factor, ^Ìconfidence breeds confidence'. I know I can win a race, and I know I can do well here. We are knocking on the door, and this would be a great place to get a win. It will be fun again for Ron and I to go out and race together and try to be on the podium together like Toronto. It is a unique pleasure to share the podium with a teammate," states Ruhlman.

"I have a great deal of faith in this car and in what I can do with it," remarks Randy Ruhlman. "So far this year, things have gone really well, and the car is working the way I like it. We've run fast each race, and every session we have gotten better. We are building on our successes, and the crew is doing a great job for us. I can't say enough about the efforts they have made to get us up front. Ron was a big help in the other Derhaag Motorsports Corvette. It is great to have someone to work with who knows the cars, and, even more importantly, we like the same things in setup. We now have the ability to try different things on each car and see which is the best. Ron and I work well together and are good friends, and that's an added bonus," finishes Ruhlman.

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.

Le Grand Prix du Trois-Rivieres will be Ruhlman's 143rd start in Trans-Am. Ruhlman is currently third in the Drivers' Championship points after Round Five of the Motorock Trans-Am Series at Toronto. Ruhlman is just sixteen points behind leader Paul Gentilozzi and fourteen points from Diaz in second. A win in Trans-Am is worth 30 points, second 27, third 25, fourth 23, fifth 21, and down by one point from there. A bonus point is available for leading a lap, winning the qualifying pole and for leading the most laps in a race.

Randy Ruhlman finished sixth overall in 2003 in the Drivers' Championship in a Derhaag Motorsports Corvette. He 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.

-www.ruhlmanmotorsports.com