SHANE
LEWIS LEADS ACEMCO FERRARI TO TOP-FIVE AT ROAD ATLANTA
-FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE-
BRASELTON,
Ga., June 29, 2003 – Shane Lewis led the ACEMCO Motorsports
Ferrari 360 GT Modena to its first top-five finish in the American
Le Mans
Series (ALMS) at today’s Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta. Starting
seventh in GT
class, the Jupiter, Fla. resident and co-driver Andrew Davis, of Lilburn,
Georgia, drove the impeccably prepared silver and yellow ACEMCO Automotive
Ferrari under grueling temperatures and immense competition as high
as
fourth before a late race fuel stop dropped the team to fifth. Lewis,
who
drove the car for the last hour and forty-five minutes of the two
hour and
forty-five minute timed-event, was closing on fourth place runner
David
Murry when the checkered flag flew. Lewis— who less than two
weeks ago had a
two-lap lead in the ACEMCO Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans before
an
engine failure at half-distance— closed the 30-second margin
to Murry’s
Porsche to under ten seconds in less than 15 laps at the finish.
“This
is great,” enthused Lewis after the race. “The ACEMCO
guys did an
awesome job and this Ferrari didn’t miss a beat all day. Andrew
did a
terrific job and handed me a great car. To have led at Le Mans, then
to come
here and get a top-five for the team, yeah, we’ll take that.
The Porsches
were strong all day, and we knew they would be, but the crew had awesome
pit
stops and the car was prepared so well we just kept at it. We had
the
highest finishing Ferrari in GT and that isn’t easy with the
competition out
there. I honestly believe this is the best competition in sports car
racing
and to be able to run in the top-five and to leave with a fifth; I
am
thrilled to death. I can’t wait to get this car to Sonoma and
see what we
can do out there. After the fifth here, I am definitely California
dreamin’
.”
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 three 24 Hours of Le Mans, six
24 Hours
of Daytona, seven 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 (LMP 900, LMP 675, GTS and GT). He drives the ACEMCO Motorsports
Ferrari 360 GT Modena in the ALMS and the Nuzzo Motorsports Mini Cooper
S in
Grand-Am Cup.