SHANE LEWIS' 24 HOURS OF LE MANS ENDS WHILE LEADING

SHANE LEWIS' 24 HOURS OF LE MANS ENDS WHILE LEADING
 
LE MANS, France, June 15, 2003 - Shane Lewis' number 95 ACEMCO
Automotive Ferrari 360 GT Modena fell victim to an engine malfunction
while leading the LM GT class at the 71st running of the 24 Heures Du
Mans. Lewis, of Jupiter, Florida, and teammates Butch Leitzinger (State
College, Pennsylvania) and Johnny Mowlem (Warfield, England)  had
charged from seventh on the grid to take the class lead from a string of
Porsche 911s just short of the mid-point of the world's most famous
sports car race when the failure occurred. Lewis came from two laps down
to take the point just prior ACEMCO Motorsports' ninth pit stop of the
event, a stop that included the team's fourth driver change. Mowlem took
over driving duties from Lewis and was in the car when the engine
expired at the Playstation Chicane on the famous Mulsanne Straight just
after 2:30 am local, Le Mans time. The failure ended the ACEMCO
Ferrari's day on lap 138.
 
"I can't believe it," commented Lewis who fought the emotions between
elation of leading in his fourth Le Mans start and the devastation of
falling out of the event. "The whole crew did just a terrific job. I
really want to thank them for giving me such a great car to drive. Every
one of the guys worked so hard to put us up-front when almost everyone
outside of the team said we couldn't do it. The ACEMCO pit stops where
awesome, Yokohama gave us an incredible tire; Jeff (Giangrande, ACEMCO
Motorsports team owner) provided everything we needed to run well. We
had everything in place to have a great finish. It was thrilling to lead
Le Mans in a Ferrari and it shows how good this team is. It's hard to
take right now but we'll pack it all up and head to Road Atlanta, learn
from this and be stronger. I really want to thank Jeff and my
co-drivers, Butch and Johnny. They did an awesome job and I can't think
of two better guys to come to Le Mans with. Now that I've had my teeth
in it, I have a taste for leading at Le Mans. We'll be back to finish
the meal next year."
 
Lewis, who, along with Cass Whitehead, is ACEMCO Motorsports' regular
season driver in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), started the silver
and red Ferrari taking the French Tri-Color (used in lieu of the
traditional green flag) from ALMS founder Don Panoz 42nd in the field of
45, seventh in LM GT class, at 4 pm, June 14. Finishing position for the
car will not be known until the race's conclusion at 4 pm, June 15.
 
Shane Lewis is the 1998 Professional Sports Car Racing Rising Star award
winner and is a multiple race winner in IMSA, SCCA Pro and Grand-Am
sanctioned events. He has raced in six 24 Hours of Daytona, six 12 Hours
of Sebring and four Petit Le Mans. Lewis, a regular top-five finisher in
ALMS competition, has earned ALMS podium finishes at Silverstone, the
Nurburgring and Portland and is one of the few drivers with experience
in the four major classes of international sports car racing (LM P 900,
LM P 675, LM GTS and LM GT). In 2003, Lewis is a fulltime driver for
ACEMCO Motorsports in the ALMS and lead driver for the Nuzzo Motorsports
Mini Cooper S in Grand-Am Cup.
 
For more on Shane Lewis please see www.ShaneLewis.com. 
 
Cara de Vlaming of Risi Competizione contributed to this release. 
 
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Digital images and bio available upon request.
Editors, please do not publish any contact information other than web
sites.  Thank you.
 
Contact: Tom Moore, Shane Lewis Racing: 770-466-5442,
tom@darkhorsecom.com