Born: Lancaster, Calif., Aug. 8
Current Residence: Jupiter, Fla.
Wife: Crystal
Web Site: www.ShaneLewis.com
Helmet: Blue and white with a large, red ‘s’ outlined in black on each side
Southard Motorsports Driver: Since, 2004
Unique note: Was California State bull riding champion in high school.
Major Accomplishments:
Championships: Double Formula Ford and Formula Ford Festival titles, 125cc Shifter Kart
Major Sports Car
Wins: 16
Development Driver: Riley & Scott Europe, Pilbeam Racing America, Mosler Automotive, Saleen, BMW, MINI, MCR, Robinson DP, Honda America and Lola LMP. |
 |
Endurance races: 24, 24 Hour race starts- 24 Hours of Le Mans (’99-’00, ’03), Rolex 24 of Daytona (’97 - ’02, ’04-‘07), Petit Le Mans (’98-‘01, ’03), 12 Hours of Sebring (’97-’98, ’00-’03), 24 Hours of Nürburgring (’04, ‘05), 12 Hours of Magny-Cours (’07 - WIN)
Honors: *1998 Professional Sports Car Racing Rising Star Award winner
* Test driver for author Don Alexander's book Performance Handling for the 90's
* 2007 PerformanceDrink Challenge Winner, KONI Challenge Series ST class
Career Highlights: 2008- Lewis returns for his fifth season with Southard Motorsports. He shares the No. 3 Lexus-Riley with Bill Lester (Atlanta). He is also campaigning a full season in the KONI Challenge Series. The Rolex 24 At Daytona marked his 25th career 24 hour race. 2007- Raced to a season-high finish of fourth in the 2007 finale at Salt Lake City driving the No. 3 Lexus-Riley. Added two KONI Challenge Series ST class victories (Homestead-Miami, Virginia Int’l Raceway) while driving the Honda America Racing Team Accord. Raced to a class victory in the prestigious 12 Hours of Magny-Cours in France. 2006- Captured two podium finishes as the lead driver in the Southard Motorsports BMW-Riley Daytona Prototype. The pair of third-place finishes came at the Long Beach Grand Prix and at Phoenix Int’l Raceway. Returned to Grand-Am Cup setting a ST class track record at Virginia Int’l Raceway driving the Honda America Racing Team Accord. 2005- Raced the Southard Motorsports BMW-Riley earning three top-ten finishes in the Daytona Prototype class. In Grand-Am Cup, Lewis drove the Nuzzo Motorsports MINI Cooper S to a ST class track record at Homestead-Miami. He also drove in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in a Porsche for the second time. 2004- Drove the full DP season with Southard Motorsports claiming multiple top-tens. Set the ST class track record in the process of winning the first professional, North American pole position for BMW’s MINI Cooper S. Competed in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring finishing third in class. 2003- Set the Grand-Am Cup STI track record at Virginia in a MINI Cooper S and gave the car its first top-ten in North American competition. Finished second in GTS class at the Paul Revere 250 Rolex Series event. Raced in his third 24 Hours of Le Mans leading the GT class in a Ferrari. Competed in the ALMS for the full season driving a Ferrari F360 GT. 2002- Raced to an overall win in the Grand-Am Cup event at Phoenix and a Grand Sport II class win at Daytona Int’l Raceway. Competed in two classes at the Six Hours of Mont-Tremblant Rolex Series race earning the GS II-class win and third in GTS. Drove the Otto Motorsports’ Ford Taurus in qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Watkins Glen event. 2001- Drove one event in ARCA competition finishing 16th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Debuted the Pilbeam chassis at the Rolex 24 finishing seventh in SRPII class. Drove a Callaway Corvette and a Dodge Viper in ALMS competition and in Le Mans qualifying. 2000- Raced to two podium finishes in ALMS GT competition at Silverstone and Nürburgring. Drove in his second 24 Hours of Le Mans in a GT class Porsche. 1999- Debuted at Le Mans with the Riley & Scott European prototype factory team. Driver of the top finishing GT3 BMW at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, second-place in the USRRC GT3 Drivers Championship for Aspen Knolls BMW M3. Finished third in the FIA-round at Homestead-Miami. 1998- Professional Sports Car Racing Rising Star award winner. Lead driver, Mosler Automotive. Three podium and five top-five finishes. Factory driver for BMW/Michelin for the One Lap of America. 1997- Team driver for the Chamberlin GT2 Viper-entry at the FIA Championship finale at Laguna Seca. Lead driver for West Engineering GT-3 entry at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. 1996- Won the Inaugural IMSA Endurance Championship Race at Daytona, Touring Class. Three-time winner in the World Challenge events and second overall in driver points in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge S2 Class, five event victories in the One Lap of America. 1995- Two wins in the IMSA Supercar Championship, second overall in the drivers’ championship. Participated in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. 1994- Won the Rising Star Award for the IMSA Supercar Series, fourth overall in drivers’ championship. Early Career- Began his career in 1989 racing Formula Fords that he built and maintained. Won double regional championships and Ford Festival titles in his class. Raced at the 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges winning three class titles, including two overall victories. Went on to compete in IMSA Firehawk competition winning multiple events. From 1991-1993 raced, and won, in the IMSA Supercar Series for Mosler Automotive. Was the test driver for author Don Alexander's book Performance Handling for the ‘90's.
Personal: Is an avid motorcyclist, karter and private driving instructor. Originally became involved in motorsports by building his first race car (for oval, dirt track racing) in his Lancaster, Calif. backyard as a teenager. His father helped him finish the car to encourage Lewis, who had been seriously injured in a bull riding accident, to stop riding rodeo.
|
