Shane Lewis To Stretch Legs at Glen Long Course

WATKINS GLEN, NY., September 21, 2005 � Shane Lewis loves the challenge of wringing the last bit of speed from a racecar. As such, the Jupiter, Fla.-resident finds the “Long Course” at Watkins Glen International one of the true challenges of his year. Saturday's Crown Royal 250 at The Glen will be the third Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series appearance at the upstate New York facility this year. It is the second race on the “Long Course”. The 3.4-mile track provides an excellent opportunity for Lewis to turn loose the BMW V8 that powers the No. 3 PAP-Parts/ OZEXE Southard Motorsports Riley. The historic track, which has been a cornerstone of American road racing since the 1950s, may be the best occasion for Lewis to return the Southard Motorsports Daytona Prototype (DP) to early-season promise. The multi-time Grand American race winner drove the No. 3 to the front of the pack consistently at the start of the season including stints in the overall race lead at California Speedway and put in a strong performance here. Lewis, who has driven in a dozen races at “The Glen”, lists the track as one of his favorites because of its technical nature. As a true “driver's track”, the 11-turn facility allows the driver to make a difference. “The long course at the Glen is a great track because driver performance is so important here,” said Lewis. “While you need to have a great car underneath you, this course demands a driver to be at his best. It's fast, technical and if you get it right every lap, you can really stretch the legs of a good car.”Making his third start at “The Glen” of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series 2005 season, Lewis has had mixed results at the track this year. In the first appearance, Lewis piloted the BMW to 11th in the Six Hours at the Glen. On the 2.45-mile “Short Course” last month the Ohio-based team was only able to capture 38th after a suspension failure ended their day. “I'm looking forward to running this race weekend in conjunction with the IRL,” continued Lewis. “I think we will turn some heads of the IndyCar fans. It's really a benefit to both our series to show them what kind of race the Rolex Sports Car Series can put on. And you know we put on one heck of a show!”Lewis is currently tied for 15th in the driver standings with three races remaining. He is only 12 points out of the top-10 with two of his favorite tracks, including The Glen, left on the schedule. The third, and final race of the season, is at the new-to-the-series Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico.SPEED Channel will broadcast the race live starting at 3 PM (EDT), Saturday, September 24. Live timing and scoring can be found at www.GrandAmerican.com beginning with Thursday's first practice at 3 PM. Qualifying is scheduled for 4:40 PM, Friday. For more on Shane Lewis please see www.ShaneLewis.com. Southard Motorsports can be found at www.SouthardMotorsports.com.###