Sebring: Shane Lewis preview

Shane Lewis set to defend Sebring GTP victory.

Jupiter, Fla. February 27, 2003 -- Shane Lewis is set to defend his Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) GTP-class victory at Sebring International Raceway (SIR) this weekend. Lewis, of Jupiter, Florida, will reunite with the #65 Chevrolet-powered Spice that he used to dominate the 2002 event. The former Professional Sports Car Rising Star Award winner will actually have multiple chances to celebrate in the three-hour endurance event's victory lane, as he will also drive a 1990s-vintage Acura Spice that won the IMSA Camel Lights championship and a second Camel Lights-class Spice with Buick power with Mark Pritch and Roger Mandeville. As he did last year, Lewis will co-drive the #65 GTP entry with car owner Ron Ciaravella.

"There are some very well prepared and well driven cars in GTP and with the addition of cars from the current era of World Sports Cars, it could be a real fight," said Lewis in preparation for Sunday morning's event. "Even though the HSR events are a real showcase for the race cars and fun is the main goal, the races are still taken very seriously. This isn't a cakewalk out there. These cars have a lot of power and downforce and what you endure both physically and mentally in a three-hour race is pretty serious. The cars are just so much fun to drive, and very technical to drive on the limit, that it is something I really look forward to. Even compared to the more modern LMP cars, these GTP cars will keep your attention."

"Ron and Mark has put together an amazing collection of race cars here," continued Lewis. "I drove for them the first time a number of years ago and love coming back whenever we can work out the schedule. The cars are incredibly well maintained and the team is a lot of fun to be around. I take the competition here very seriously but I also look at it as a great way to have fun with people that I enjoy and cars I love to drive."

Shane Lewis is a multi-time race winner in IMSA, SCCA Pro and Grand-Am sanctioned events. In 2002, he competed in the GS I and GS II classes of the Grand-Am Cup winning overall at Phoenix and in-class twice, including the Daytona season-finale. In 2003, he is racing a Mini Cooper S for Nuzzo Motorsports in the Grand-Am Cup's ST I class. The popular Lewis is also a regular on the American Le Mans Series where he has earned multiple podiums and top-five finishes. He is a veteran of 16 24-hour races including two 24 Hours of Le Mans and six Rolex 24 at Daytona. He has raced six times in the 12 Hours of Sebring and four times in the Petit Le Mans.

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