ALMS

Shane Lewis Laguna Seca preview

SALINAS, Calif., Thursday, September 6, 2001- Shane Lewis will control the brute horsepower of the V10 ESP American Viperacing Dodge Viper GTS-R at this weekend's Monterey Sports Car Championships. The event marks a homecoming for the ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

SALINAS, Calif., Thursday, September 6, 2001- Shane Lewis will control the brute horsepower of the V10 ESP American Viperacing Dodge Viper GTS-R at this weekend's Monterey Sports Car Championships. The event marks a homecoming for the Lancaster-native and a return to the site of his first professional race win. Lewis has competed in seven professional races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 1993.

"It is great to be back out here racing in California again," said the Jupiter, Florida-resident. "I grew-up here and started my racing career here in California. Returning to race here always means a lot to me. Coming to Laguna Seca has so much meaning for me. I have had great success at this track including my first professional victory. To be back here and with American Viperacing I have a very good feeling about this weekend. I love the track and being back in California racing."

Lewis' first race win as a professional came in the 1994 IMSA Supercar Championships here at Laguna Seca driving a Chevrolet Corvette LT-1. Lewis charged to victory, from the pole position, over David Donohue in second and Andy Pilgrim in third in that event. He would go on to win two other IMSA Supercar races and the series' Championship Rising Star Award in his career.

"That race really sticks out in my mind," reminisced Lewis on his first victory. "It was the most intense racing I have ever done. The competition in that race was the strongest I have ever gone up against. It wasn't just every lap you were fighting but it was every turn. The cars were all amazingly close with the same tires and about the same performance. The drivers were also among the best. David [Donohue] and Andy [Pilgrim] finished right behind me, and I mean right behind me, and they are racing here in the ALMS now. That was probably the most satisfying victory of my career. Laguna always brings back great memories for me."

Darren Law will co-drive with Lewis in Monterey. The two teamed together at Laguna for Aspen Knolls Racing in ALMS GT class in 2000 finishing sixth in a Porsche 911.

"Being back with Darren is the first constant I have had," offered Lewis about the team this weekend. "The American Viperacing crew has gained so much in the last few races that every time I get into the car it is substantially better. Things are starting to click and this is a great place for me. I can't think of a better place to get back on the victory podium."

Shane Lewis continues rehabilitation from serious leg surgery complications earlier in the year. A titanium rod, stretching from his knee to his ankle, was inserted to replace bone lost when doctors worked to kill a serious staph infection in his tibia. Lewis returned to the track at Sears Point Raceway in July where he raced to fourth. He has followed that with two more fourths and a second-place finish.

The #45 ESP American Viperacing Dodge Viper will roll onto the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for first practice on Friday, September 7 with qualifications on Saturday. The Monterey Sports Car Championships' 2 hour and 45 minute ALMS race will begin at noon (PCT) on Sunday.

-www.ShaneLewis.com

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Audi S4 Laguna Seca preview

Next article BMW Team PTG: Laguna Seca qualifying

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

Kaden Honeycutt: "I put my nuts on the dash" to win Homestead and NASCAR Truck title

NASCAR Truck

NSTR NASCAR Truck

Homestead

1 h

Kaden Honeycutt: "I put my nuts on the dash" to win Homestead and NASCAR Truck title

Chase Briscoe leads NASCAR Cup Homestead practice; Larson brushes wall and Reddick wrecks

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Homestead-Miami

4 h

Chase Briscoe leads NASCAR Cup Homestead practice; Larson brushes wall and Reddick wrecks

Hamlin and Bell left with what could have been in NASCAR Chase

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Homestead-Miami

4 h

Hamlin and Bell left with what could have been in NASCAR Chase

Why Max Verstappen ended F1 practice early in Brazil – Red Bull explains

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

5 h

Why Max Verstappen ended F1 practice early in Brazil – Red Bull explains

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts