Ruhlman and Lewis show well at the Six Hours of The Glen in No.3 Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley
  
Randy waits to get in the car at Watkins Glen 6 hour 2007

Ruhlman and Lewis show well at the Six Hours of The Glen in Southard Motorsports No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley

Watkins Glen, NY (June 13, 2007) – This weekend Southard Motorsports showed its commitment and the continued development of the No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley Daytona Prototype in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, Round Six of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve.  Heads up driving by Randy Ruhlman and Shane Lewis throughout the caution-filled race showed their determination and skill as the pair brought the car home on the lead lap in thirteenth place overall in this six-hour, endurance classic at the historic Watkins Glen International Raceway.

The Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen was the first race since Homestead that the Daytona Prototypes and GT cars ran together in a feature race.  With the car starting near the front in fourteenth overall in the combined field of 45 DP and GT car, the race got heated immediately, as racing within the classes and multiple pit stop race strategies provided excitement for the fans.  Both Lewis and Ruhlman were able to avoid numerous mishaps and encounters on track and bring the car home without incident in thirteenth overall and on the lead lap after six-hours and 167-laps of the 11-turn, 3.4-mile long course.

This weekend, Southard Motorsports with drivers Shane Lewis and Randy Ruhlman made some important progress with the No 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley.  The team solved the braking issues of earlier races and continued its efforts to refine the handling of the car, successfully fielding a car that was able to keep up a reliable pace and finish on the lead lap at this past Saturday's Six Hours of the Glen race.  The team hopes to capitalize on these improvements to provide an even stronger car for Round Seven at Mid-Ohio on Saturday, June 23rd.

The Grand American Rolex Cup teams head next to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Round Seven, the 250-mile EMCO Gears Classic race on Saturday afternoon, June 23rd.  Randy Ruhlman and Shane Lewis will drive the No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley for Southard Motorsports with guests from both Preformed Line Products and the Dave Thomas Foundation in attendance. 

The No. 3 Preformed Line Products Daytona Prototype is campaigned by Southard Motorsports of Powell, Ohio.  The Riley chassis is powered by Lexus engines with technical expertise by TRD Engineering and carries sponsorship from Preformed Line Products from Mayfield Village, Ohio.  Shane Lewis is a four-year veteran of the Southard Motorsports and part of the team's two Grand-Am podium finishes last year.  Randy Ruhlman joined the team this year after running last year in Daytona Prototypes and following a successful career in the Trans-Am Series.

Randy Ruhlman has been a professional driver since 1990 and has extensive racing experience, predominantly in road racing in the Trans-Am Series, as well as in IMSA, ASA and the NASCAR short track series.  Last year, Ruhlman drove the No. 40 Preformed Line Products Daytona Prototype for Derhaag Motorsports.  Ruhlman was the top American driver in the 2005 Trans-Am Drivers' Championship, holding the points lead throughout the season and scoring a pair of wins--the season opener at the Long Beach Grand Prix and the Cleveland Grand Prix.  Ruhlman was named the 2005 BBS "Most Improved Driver of the Year" and makes the record books as fourth in Top Ten finishes in Trans-Am history.

Lewis is widely considered one of the sports leading development drivers and has competed in twenty-four 24 Hour Races--nine-times in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, three-times at Le Mans and twice at Nürburgring.  Always a fan favorite, Shane Lewis earned two Daytona Prototype podium finishes with Southard Motorsports in 2006, at the Long Beach Grand Prix and Phoenix.  He has multiple wins in the Rolex Sports Car Series and Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series and was the 1998 Professional Sports Car Racing Rising Star award winner.

Southard Motorsports reflects the goals and dedication of its owners, Steve and Martha Southard, both former drivers themselves in Historic and Professional racing.  One of only two teams to have competed in every Grand American Rolex Daytona Prototype Sports Car event since 2004, they have shown the continuity and commitment that are hallmark to all winning programs and the team was pivotal in winning the inaugural Jim Truman Driver's Award.  Southard Motorsports' experience and knowledge was highlighted by last year's successful Daytona Prototype season, as they captured two podium finishes, a third at the prestigious Long Beach Grand Prix and another third at Phoenix.

Preformed Line Products (PLP) is an international manufacturer and supplier of hardware and support systems for the communications and energy industries. Products include COYOTE® Fiber Optics and VORTEX® Vibration Dampers 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 Thailand.