GRANDAM: Shane Lewis lands DP BMW ride

By Nancy Schilke - Motorsport.com

Endurance racer Shane Lewis lands ride with Southard Motorsports to
challenge for the Grand American Rolex Series 2004 championship.  The
Florida resident already has established a resume of being able to race
anything on wheels.

Now he will step into the No. 7 PAP-PARTS BMW-FABCAR FDS/O3 owned by Steve Southard
as the lead driver for the Ohio-based team.  Southard is one of many owners
who has filed an entry for the 2004 Daytona Prototype class.  The success of
the DPs in their inaugural year (2003) has proven the naysayers wrong.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Lewis express during an one-on-one interview
with Motorsport.com.  "There are good quality teams in the Daytona Prototype
class and more are coming in almost daily.  The class and the series is
growing."

The team is looking forward to the 12-race schedule as they join the
competition.  Lewis' ability to develop a race car along with his talent as
a driver is one reason Southard approached him.  "There are a lot of
talented fast drivers out there, many who can turn consistent fast laps,"
commented Lewis.  "But fewer who have a background in development and
testing - racecraft."

Lewis learned at an early age that an important skill as a driver was to
develop racecraft.  Like so many drivers, his start was on his own dime and
as a young man who calls himself a "car junky".

"I built my own car - a 1967 Chevelle and raced on the 3/8-mile dirt oval in
Willow Springs. The owner of the track noticed that I was very interested in
road racing and had the mechanical skills that he was interested in.  I
lived at the track for two years doing testing for him where I learned my
skills of development, he, in turn, sent me to an Sports Car Club of American amateur 
driver school."

The then-California native won races and championships in the SCCA Formula Ford
class before getting his first chance of endurance racing.  Leaving the west
coast for the first time, Lewis found himself at a track in eastern Ohio.

His first ever endurance race was SCCA Neohio Region's 24 Hours of Nelson
Ledges.  "I jumped in with both feet first," said Lewis.  "Not only a track
I have never raced at before, but in a car I had not driven or seen."  As
luck would have it, he and the team won and Lewis was hooked on endurance
racing.

Since then, Lewis has competed in many events, including the Le Mans 24
Hours, Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours.  However, this is his first
opportunity to be involved in "this equal of a playing field, all teams on
the same Goodyear tires with only choice of compound being different.  I have
never been part of a new development program."

Even thought Lewis is familiar with the tracks that the Rolex Series
competes on, to him there will be the main difference of the type of car. 
He is looking forward to the team's first test at Homestead-Miami Speedway in
mid-December.  Not only will the BMW FABCAR be new but with the recent
banking put in at HMS, the track will be different.  

"I like Homestead a lot," expressed Lewis who raced there in 2003 in a
Grand-Am Cup Mini Cooper.  "Never seen the new banking so this will be an
opportunity to see it and run it.  Most importantly it will be a leaning
experience with the car and getting to know the team. We will be busy for a
full two days."

Getting to know the team is important to Lewis, he will visit the team in
Ohio next week.

Over the past years, endurance racing as changed, many of the drivers are
the same with news faces scattered but the actual running of the races are
different.  "The environment has changed from slower starts to run a set
pace to now running flat out from the green flag start - more like a sprint,
including 24 hour races."

Lewis continued, "The days of taking care of the equipment have
become more of making sure each and every lap you do not make even a simple
mistake as you run at nearly top speeds during the entire event.  Endurance
still stand for the amount of time but not for driver effort.  Now drivers
are completely spent at the end of each stint.  Tire technology has come about
due to its importance whether it is for a three-hour or a 24-hours, tires
have changed to allow for the loads, temps and pace."

Team owner, Southard is equally pleased to have Lewis has a driver, "I am
excited about 2004 and the potential of the car.  I am
confident that Shane will bring that expertise to the team. I have been
a fan of Shane's work ethic ever since we worked with him on a vintage
NASCAR Winston Cup effort several years ago."

Lewis is excited about the upcoming 2004 season that will start with the
prestigious Daytona 24 Hours, "I'm  cannot wait to run for an overall win in
my career.  The opportunity to win overall is one thing  I am really looking
forward to plus the team.  This is a top quality team."



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