BURBANK, Calif. (December 12, 2011) – Four SCCA members were honored by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) for their pro racing successes. Pirelli World Challenge driver Patrick Long earned first team All America, with Lawson Aschenbach and Trans-Am driver Tony Ave scoring second-team nods. Amy Ruman earned the group’s Rising Star award after her breakout season in Trans-Am.
Ruman and Ave are both former Club Racers who have moved onto successful pro careers.
Ruman, driver of the McNichols/Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette, won AARWBA’s Rising Star award, following her breakout year. Ruman, age 37, won the season finale at Road Atlanta, to become the first woman ever to win a Trans-Am Series race in the series’ 45-year history.
“Wow what a surprise. I was thrilled to hear that I had been selected for the Rising Star Award by AARWBA,” stated Ruman. “What an honor to be named among some of racing's finest drivers! The auto racing broadcasters and journalists have a unique perspective in that they are following all forms of auto racing across the country. So to have been chosen for this award from among all the racers they follow is just incredible. Their vote of confidence is inspiring.
“I'm still very excited about our McNichols/Goodyear/Cenweld Trans-Am team’s accomplishments in 2011, but we are already focused on next year,” added Ruman. “I love racing and want to continue to build my competition portfolio in every way I can. Congrats to Tony (Ave) for being named to the All-America 2nd Team. What great recognition for the Trans-Am Series in road racing competition.”
Ave, who drove the Lamers Racing/Beebe Racing/Optech/PME Chevrolet Corvette, was named to the Second Team in the Road Racing category, following his dominating season in which he grabbed six wins and two runner-up finishes en route to his second consecutive Trans-Am Series Driver’s championship. He earned five Clean Sweeps (winning the pole and race, earning the fast lap and leading the most laps) in what was a truly spectacular season.
“It’s good to see that Trans-Am itself is getting recognized as a valuable pro series,” Ave said. “I feel the award speaks as much to the series I am racing in as to what we do. I am happy for both my team and the series itself to get the recognition and hopefully we can do it again next year. I have always loved Trans-Am and I think we will go long into the future. Anytime someone gets put into the category of other racing greats and a series that has been around this long, it definitely makes you feel good.”
Long joins this year's team in the At Large category. Competing in his first season of Pirelli World Challenge competition, Long earned the GT Drivers' title on the strength of four wins and four pole positions during the 2011 season in the No. 45 Privacy Star/TruSpeed Porsche 911 GT3. Those results helped earn Porsche the GT Manufacturers' Championship, and TruSpeed the GT Team Championship.
Aschenbach made the list in the Touring Series category. Aschenbach added this season’s Touring Car Drivers' title to his 2006 GT Championship, winning five races and an equal number of poles and boosting Honda to their sixth Manufacturers’ Championship and first since 1996. Compass360 Racing earned the team title in Touring Car for their support of Aschenbach’s season.
The SCCA Champions join drivers such as Dario Franchitti, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and more on the All America team. The achievements of all honorees will be celebrated at the 42nd AARWBA All-America Team Banquet, which takes place on January 8, 2012 in the Grand Hall at the Train Station of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indianapolis, IN. Tickets are available to the public at www.aarwba.org.
