ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (Aug. 19, 2005) — Randy Ruhlman showed his speed at Road America by posting the fastest lap in both Trans-Am practice sessions. Last year, Ruhlman won the pole here at Road America, lead the most laps and finished second in the Trans-Am race to four-time Champion Tommy Kendall.

The afternoon session saw the fastest times, as Ruhlman in the #49 Preformed Line Products Derhaag Motorsports Corvette turned a 2:10.549, besting second place rival Klaus Graf in the factory sponsored Rocketsports Jaguar.  The two are over a second faster than the rest of the field with qualifying slated for 8:55 AM Saturday morning. 

Ruhlman also set the fastest time in the first session, almost a half second ahead of Mike Lewis and Paul Gentilozzi.  Ruhlman, the points leader in the Driver's Championship, hopes to follow-up today's fast times by winning the pole for Sunday's Round Eight of the 2005 Trans-Am Series.

With Randy Ruhlman and Klaus Graf are separated by one point in the battle for the Driver's Championship, the three points available for the pole and one for second will be important to both. Ruhlman and Graf each have two wins this year; Ruhlman won Long Beach and Cleveland, Graf won at Denver and Portland, where Ruhlman finished second.

This weekend at historic Road America, Round Eight of the 2005 Trans-Am series, is scheduled for Sunday, August 21st at 10:20 AM CDT for 25 laps of the 4.048-mile track at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Live timing and scoring will be on the Internet at http://www.trans-amseries.com/.  Television coverage will be on SPEED TV at 3 PM EDT on Sunday, August 28th.