Shane Lewis Returns to N�rburgring 24 with Aston Martin in Pursuit of Second Title

America’s Nürburgring Wizard to Make 33rd-Career 24-Hour Race Start

NÜRBURGRING, GERMANY, May 15, 2012 – Shane Lewis never set out to become America’s premier race car driver at Germany’s renowned Nürburgring. However, in just four 24 Hours of Nürburgring (2004, ’05, ’10, ’11) and two Nürburgring Six Hours starts (’09, ’11) as well as an American Le Mans Series race on the Grand Prix course (’00), the Jupiter, Fla.-resident has racked up a 24 Hour win (’10), two Six Hour victories (’09, ’11) and two other 24 Hour podiums (’04, ’10). It all amounts to an outstanding 86 percent podium success rate at Nürburgring! The May 19-20 ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring can further establish Lewis as America’s ultimate ace on the 15.753-mile (25.359 km), 73-turn Nordschleife. For the 40th anniversary running of the race, Lewis will re-team with longtime co-driver Vic Rice (San Rafael, CA) as well as Germans Karl Pflanz and Kim Hauschild in the No. 60 Hamburg Racing Team (HRT) Aston Martin Vantage N24.

The ALMS and GRAND-AM race winner will be attempting his 33rd-career 24-hour race start when he travels to the track nicknamed the “Green Hell”. Lewis has added two 24-hour races to his resume already this season. He opened the year with a debut in the 24 Hour of Dubai in January driving the HRT Aston Martin for the first time. He finished fifth driving the No. 125 Aston with the same driver lineup he will race with at Nürburgring. He followed that with his 15th Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona start where he ran near the top-five much of the event in a GT class Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Success at Nürburgring does not come easily. Even with the massive competition of up to 250 cars possible on the grid, it is the legendary venue that makes this among the most prestigious of all endurance races to win. Begun in 1970, the race has grown significantly. To go 24 hours without any substantial run-in or mechanical issue demands nearly superhuman driving skill. Unlike most circuits, it is nearly impossible for a driver to learn every nuance of the Nordschleife – translated to “North Swipe” as the full circuit takes not only the Grand Prix course familiar to Formula One fans but also a daunting additional stretch into the woods surrounding the track. Due to its length and number of turns, memorizing the circuit, its braking points, turn-in points and exit mark for each corner demands years of experience. Lewis took to it immediately allowing his natural and honed skill to feel a car take command. The tactic paid-off handsomely as the California-native began to wrack-up success after success. In fact, of his seven different starts on both circuits, Lewis has only failed to podium a single time.

Lewis finished third in his first attempt (2004) and returned the following year for his only finish off the podium when a teammate crashed out of the event early. In 2010, he took the Super Production class title with the Götz Motorsports Audi.

Shane Lewis is a multiple-time race winner in the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Grand-Am Series. In 2010, he raced to runner-up in the ALMS GTC Championship. He has raced every major class of sports car in every major international series.

Quotes

Shane Lewis

On the significance of racing in the Nürburgring 24: “I have been fortunate to race all over the world but this track and this event is the one I look forward to the very most. I don't care as much about how many 24-hour races I do. To me, it’s more how well I do in them. This being my 33rd 24-hour race is pretty significant, I suppose, but the real thing to me is competing with the best drivers, in the best cars on the best tracks. Nürburgring is that and then some!”