SHANE LEWIS WINS GRAND-AM CUP AT PHOENIX

SHANE LEWIS

www.shanelewis.com


SHANE LEWIS PUTS THE HEAT ON THE COMPETITION AT PHONEIX


	-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-


PHOENIX, Saturday, April 20, 2002 - Shane Lewis took a dominating victory in
today’s Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series event here at Phoenix International
Raceway (PIR) this afternoon. Piloting the #43 Orison Marketing - Planet
Earth Motorsports Corvette from seventh on the starting grid, Lewis drove a
masterful race to take the win seven seconds ahead of Devon Powell and Doug
Goad’s no. 11 Corvette. The Jupiter, Florida resident took over driving
duties from co-driver/owner Joe Nonnamaker early in the event and stalked
the leaders before taking the point at the one-hour and 30-minute mark of
the three-hour timed event. Lewis, who drove the Corvette Z06 to the top
spot in each of the weekend’s practice sessions, never relinquished the lead
or had it fall below three seconds after taking the lead.


“I am just ecstatic! It is great to be back on the top-step of the victory
podium,” enthused the multi-time Le Mans starter. “I knew this Orison
Marketing - Planet Earth Vette could do this, I just didn’t know it would be
so soon. Everything just worked this weekend. I think Joe and I can get a
couple more wins this season. I want to thank Joe and the Nonnamaker family
for giving me such a great opportunity. We had some incredible battles out
there today and the 11-car never let us rest. Devon and Doug were always
right there breathing down our neck. This was about as much fun as you can
have in a race car!”


As part of Planet Earth Motorsports and Shane Lewis’ dedication to the
environment, 10% of the earnings from today’s victory will be donated to the
Prescott (AZ) Earth Day Network, a local environmental cause group.


Lewis, fresh out of the winning green, blue and black Corvette, beamed as he
reflected over the weekend. “Looking at the time sheets you’d think this
weekend was a cake-walk for Joe and I but it was far from it. We definitely
had our struggles but we would always get it together when we rolled it out
on the track. The guys [Planet Earth Motorsports’ crew] had to change
engines after the first day of practice and we came right back out and set
fast time the next day. That is a testimony to how hard everyone worked over
the winter and since Fontana. When we lost the horsepower in the engine at
Fontana and fell out of the lead with just 25-minutes to go it was
heartbreaking but no one let it get to them. Then with about 15 [minutes] to
go we lost all of our oil pressure and I thought ‘oh no, here we go again’
but she held together. When I came around and saw the white flag I thought,
‘come on, where’s the checkered?’ but I just kept pushing and pushing until
I saw it. Just an awesome effort by everyone on the Planet Earth team.”


Shane Lewis has been racing since 1989. He is the 1998 Professional Sports
Car Rising Star award winner and has multiple race wins in the IMSA Supercar
and SCCA Pro series. Lewis has American Le Mans Series (ALMS) podium
finishes at Silverstone, Nurburgring and last season at Portland. This
former Daytona Endurance Champion has driven in 16 24-hour races including
two 24 Hours of Le Mans, six 24 Hours of Daytona and six 12 Hours of
Sebring. In 2002, he is competing as the lead driver for the #43 Orison
Marketing - Planet Earth Corvette Z06 in the GSI-class of the Grand-Am Cup
Street Stock Series and as lead pilot of the #45 American Viperacing Dodge
Viper in the ALMS GTS-class.


For more on Shane Lewis please see www.ShaneLewis.com.

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Contact: Tom Moore, Shane Lewis Racing Media Relations
770-466-5442 (phone), 770-466-5443 (fax), 404-229-3703 (cell)
Tom@DarkhorseCom.com (email)