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Ruman and Buffomante capture Road Atlanta pole positions

April 9, 2016

Kinsland, Francis, Jr., and Flynn set fast times in TA3, TA4 and TA5

BRASELTON, GA. [APRIL 9, 2016] – Amy Ruman and Tony Buffomante grabbed pole positions for the TA and TA2 classes; as the Trans Am Series held qualifying for Round 2 of the 2016 Trans Am Championship at Road Atlanta, continuing the Series’ 50th Anniversary Season. They were joined in the feat by Randy Kinsland in TA3, Ernie Francis, Jr., in TA4 and Connor Flynn in TA5, who will also start in the front of their respective classes come tomorrow as the Series holds two 101.6-mile, 40-lap races.

Ruman, the defending TA Champion and driver of the No. 23 McNichols Company Chevrolet Corvette, captured her first pole of the 2016 campaign after turning a 1:20.584 lap around the famous 2.54-mile Georgia road course. Ruman was victorious at Road Atlanta last year, helping set the tone for a history making championship season—form she will aim to replicate come tomorrow. Ruman has two career victories at Road Atlanta, the aforementioned in 2015 and her first career victory in 2011.

Ruman will be joined in the first row by longtime Trans Am competitor Cliff Ebben, in the No. 36 Stumpf Ford/ McMahon Group Ford Mustang, who turned a 1:21.069 lap of his own. Ebben will look to buck a two-year streak of missing out on the podium at Road Atlanta after finishing third here in 2013.

Paul Fix, driver of the No. 50 StopFlex.com/TheCarCoach.com Chevrolet Corvette, will start third come tomorrow’s race after turning a 1:21.282; he will be joined on the second row by David Pintaric, driver of the No. 57 Kryeracing Chevrolet Corvette, who logged a 1:22.128 of his own. Simon Gregg, in the No. 57 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette, completed the top five with a 1:22.365 lap time.

Greg Pickett, Claudio Burtin, Joseph Freda, Allan Lewis and Jim McAleese completed the remainder of the 18-car TA class top ten, in that order.

In TA2, Tony Buffomante powered the No. 34 Mike Cope Racing Enterprises Ford Mustang around the course to the tune of 1:25.715 lap time securing his first pole position of the year and setting a new track record in the process. The pole puts Buffomante in prime position to capture his first TA2 class win since his debut in 2013, the first of two one-off appearances in two consecutive years until joining the Series full time in 2015. Buffomante will look to continue his momentum with consecutive podium placements spanning back to the 2015 Daytona finale.

However, Buffomante will first have to fend off a stacked top ten and the rest of the 28-car TA2 field.

Starting alongside Buffomante will be defending TA2 Champion Gar Robinson, driver of the No. 74 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, who turned a 1:25.894 lap—just short of Buffomante’s time. Like Buffomante, Robinson is riding a wave of momentum of his own with four consecutive podiums, three of them victories, spanning back to Round 10 of 2015.

Dillon Machavern, Buffomante’s teammate and driver of the No. 24 Heritage Motorsports Ford Mustang, secured third position with a 1:25.910 lap while Robinson’s teammate Shane Lewis, driver of the No. 72 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, and Trans Am veteran Tommy Archer, in the No. 54 Koolmat/Kolar Chevrolet Camaro, completed the top five with times of 1:26.264 and 1:26.372, respectively.

The TA2 class top ten will also include Ron Keith, Adam Andretti, Justin Haley, Kevin Poitras and Tony Ave.

In TA3, rookie Randy Kinsland, in the No. 11 Crossland Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette, captured his second consecutive class pole position, just beating out defending Champion Lee Saunders, in the No. 84 Landsearch LLC Dodge Viper ACRX, for the top spot with times of 1:29.202 to 1:29.609. Randy Mueller, in the No. 0 Epic Motorsports BMW M3, will lead the second row for the class after securing third starting position with a time of 1:30.228.

The TA3 top five was completed by Jason Berkeley, in the No. 67 BMG Management Chevrolet Corvette, and Russ Snow, in the No. 20 Guardian Services Chevrolet Corvette, with times of 1:30.977 and 1:31.792, respectively.

TA4 was led by Ernie Francis, Jr., a two-time Trans Am Champion and driver of the No. 98 Beta Tools/Liquid Performance Ford Mustang, who secured pole by narrowly beating out Dean Martin, in the No. 52 Picture Cars East Ford Mustang, as the two turned times of 1:30.491 and 1:30.611, respectively.

They will be joined in the TA4 class top five by rookie Brian Kleeman, in the No. 07 DWW Motorsports Ford Mustang, who turned a 1:31.594 and a veteran Todd Napieralski, in the No. 39 TREMEC/SKF/Backstreet Chevrolet Camaro, who logged a 1:31.904 lap of his own. Tristian Herbert, in the No. 33 Tilton Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, completed that top five with a time of 1:31.994.

In TA5 Trans Am rookie Connor Flynn, in the No. 85 Irish Mike’s Automotive Porsche 997, beat out Milton Grant, in the No. 5 Sentry Self/ Courtyard By Marriott Porsche 997, by a time of 1:31.162 to 1:33.515. The pole stands as Flynn’s first career Trans Am pole.

The Trans Am Series will take to the Road Atlanta track for two 101.6-mile, 40-lap races, a TA2, powered by AEM, exclusive race at 12:30 PM ET and the customary TA, TA3, TA4 and TA5 multi-class race at 4:15 PM ET. In total, 66 cars will take to the track across the two races.

Fans can keep up with the action at www.gotransam.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gotransam and on Twitter at @gotransam.

Trans Am competitor Vincent Allegretta was transported to the North East Medical Center in Gainesville, GA after an impact between turn 6 and 7 during qualifying, but was released within hours of being admitted.

Provisional TA Qualifying Results in full

Provisional TA2 Qualifying Results in full

Provisional TA3, TA4 and TA5 Qualifying Results in full

Results Provisional until posted final.

A NARRA promoted event.