Sportscar racing standout and local South Florida resident Shane Lewis will lead the No. 7 PAP Parts/ Southard Motorsports BMW-FABCAR Daytona Prototype entry into Saturday's Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series' Grand Prix of Miami.
Lewis, who lives just north of Miami in Jupiter, Florida, enters theHomestead-Miami Speedway (HMS) event with a large contingent of localfans and miles at the track on his side. He has competed in 19professional sports car races in Florida in his career including five inSouth Florida. Among his Homestead-Miami highlights, Lewis raced to apodium finish in the 1999 FIA SportsCar World Championship round here ina BMW M3. He has countless laps around the Homestead-Miami Speedway inseveral of its configurations both competitively and as a drivinginstructor and was one of the first to take to the new, higher-bankedtrack in a Daytona Prototype (DP). The Grand Prix of Miami marks thesecond Rolex Series DP race of the season. Lewis started tenth andworked his way up at the first race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, before amid-race mechanical problem forced the car's retirement. The SouthardMotorsports' BMW FABCAR finished tenth in class. The Grand Prix of Miamiwill air on SPEED on March 7th at 4 pm (EST). Shane Lewis:about racing in South Florida: "Living in Jupiter, the Grand Prix ofMiami is my home event and I think that gives me a little edge. I trainin this weather, I know the best restaurants, I can ride my motorcycledown to the circuit. It's like owning your own track. Because we raceall over the world, we don't get to race in front of our friends andneighbors from here in Florida too often. That makes this real special.All the guys from the Shane Lewis Fan Club will be coming down too sowe'll have a real big following. This race is definitely one of myfavorites on the circuit."About living in South Florida: "South Florida is where it's allhappening. Where else can you get the blend of cultures, the ocean, thebeach, the food, the cars, the racing... the beautiful women? When youthink about sports car racing a lot of things jump into your mind and wehave them all right here. Miami is THE sports car town."Shane Lewis has been racing since 1989 with multiple race wins inGrand-Am sanctioned events, in the IMSA Supercar and SCCA Pro Series andthe Historic SportsCar Series. He has starts in ARCA stock carcompetition, at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and is a former DaytonaEndurance Champion and Formula Ford Festival winner. He has driven insix Rolex 24s and three 24 Hours of Le Mans- leading the race in GTclass in 2003. He has two overall and one class-victory at the 24 Hoursof Nelson Ledges. Lewis was honored as the 1998 Professional Sports CarRacing Rising Star award winner. Lewis also serves as a test driver andprivate coach.
