Nuzzo Motorsports' Shane Lewis Readies For Battle in Virginia

Shane Lewis Readies For Battle in Virginia 

JUPITER, Fla., October 1, 2003 - Following a one-race hiatus due to
Hurricane Isabel, Shane Lewis will return this weekend to the Grand-Am
Cup race series in the No. 20 Nuzzo Motorsports Mini Cooper S. The
Jupiter, Florida resident will lead the Nuzzo team into Virginia
International Raceway (VIR) with plans to take the car's first
professional race win in North America. The historic, flowing track
outside the city of Alton will play to some of the Mini's strengths.
Unlike many of the recent tracks that Lewis has spirited the BMW-built
English classic around, VIR has some key handling and braking zones.
These areas of the 3.27 mile facility will help reduce the impact of the
car's only major flaw, a relative lack of horsepower in the
ultra-competitive Sport Touring 1 (STI) class. The car has had strong
performances this season but has been hampered by the in-class
horsepower deficit and electronic gremlins. The problems have cost Lewis
class victories and podiums at a number of events in the street
car-based race series sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing
Association (Grand-Am). Lewis, who has won a Grand-Am Cup event in class
every year he has participated in the series, will again share driving
duties with car owner Tony Nuzzo and Mike Bavaro in Saturday's 3 Hours
of VIR. The pairing has worked well together throughout the season.
Lewis will also be entered in the No. 21 Nuzzo Motorsports' Mini to
maximize the team's opportunity for success.

"VIR is a driver's track," said Lewis enthusiastically. "It really
separates the men from the boys. Make no mistake; the long
back-straightaway is going to hurt us horsepower-wise. I can make up a
lot of things but that backstraight is going to be tough to overcome. I
expect that we will be at least in the same ballpark as the competition.
I think everyone raises their game at VIR. This place has history,
atmosphere and this is the kind of track that a real driver just loves
to race at. It is that good of a track. I wish I raced here more."

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, three 24 Hours of Le Mans 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 (LMP 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. For more on Nuzzo
Motorsports visit www.NuzzoMotorsports.com.