Shane Lewis 2004:
Looking to Sebring and Beyond
by Kate Shaw

TORONTO, Canada (March 12, 2004) --  There hasn’t been a year in the ALMS that hasn’t seen the smiling face of Shane Lewis on the starting grid in one class or another. But this year, while Sebring is fast approaching, although you can still go down the entry list and see a vast array of “TBAs" –  we haven’t even heard about him as a 3^rd driver at Sebring – yet. The value of his ability and experience are incalculable to ANY team – of any class – in any series. How do you measure the worth of a driver like Shane in dollar signs? Any man can step up with a fat wallet and get right into racing, but how many of them can say they led at Le Mans – much less had a 2-lap lead? You cannot buy that type of skill. You cannot buy that type of dedication, and you cannot buy that type of team loyalty of heart.  The measure of a driver’s worth has to be more than a dollar sign – and it’s drivers like Shane Lewis that are proof that when you have a dream, and talent, and heart, you can achieve your goals.  

We at RFM Sports have a special affection for Shane Lewis, since our first interview with him with ACEMCO in Le Mans 2003.  Shane is a member of a very special, and increasingly rare, group of drivers called “Complete” – men who can jump into three different classes of cars (or in Shane’s case even into STRANA trucks) in a single week and put on an excellent show.  It wasn’t that long ago that all race drivers were required to show this skill to some degree – but it has always been a rare driver who can do it with zest and enthusiasm.  Shane Lewis is very fast on the track; nobody will deny it who has seen him drive.  His biggest skill, however, is this nimbleness off the track, his ability to go from a Mini-Cooper to a STRANA truck, from a Speed World Challenge car to a Ferrari – from a 24 hour race in a Grand Am DP car to a sprint race on a dirt track.  And to do it with a smile.  You won’t see Shane Lewis crying in his RC Cola about not having a drive with Audi; you won’t hire him for your team and hear him giving interviews inviting Sir Frank Williams to call him.  When you sign him up, you get 100% and more, and even on the most fraught weekend you won’t hear him dissing your car or even hinting that somehow everyone was to blame for what went wrong except him.  Best of all, since Shane has done plenty of wrenching, he has the greatest possible respect for those who, in his words, “Never get to leave the place even for dinner.”  I well remember Shane at Le Mans, when the car was being fractious and needed extensive attention the day before the race, explaining that “The drivers can go to hospitality and get a break; the mechanics and engineers get their dinner sent in and they have to eat it whenever they get a minute or can steal one.  They are the ones who make this baby go.  We drivers can never thank them enough for all they put into our success on the track – when we drive out there they are all riding with us.”  Whether he’s got a garage full of people working for him, or two people working with him, he’s right there with them doing all he can and praising them to the skies.   

What is the Secret of Shane Lewis?  To my way of thinking, the secret is that he loves to race – and not only to race, but to be a part of racing.  Shane Lewis is not in this game to become a wealthy man and cut himself off from the people who made possible his dream.  You won’t find him making eyes at a huge motorhome where he can hide in air conditioned comfort, or pricing yachts down at the boat show.  Where you will find him is right out front at the paddock, meeting fans, talking to sponsors, posing for photos, inviting kids to come up and examine his car and ask questions – patiently making enough time for everyone who wants to meet him, even when he’d rather go lie down and take a nap.  The proof of this is found on any sports car forum or in any group of sports car fans: hang around any length of time and you will hear the name of Shane Lewis, and everyone has a story about an encounter that made their or their children’s weekend.  You can’t buy that kind of publicity – just try to get some of your high-priced talent to come out of the paddock and meet the general public without a barricade between them and him. 

To sum it all up, when you have Shane Lewis on your team, you get a lot more than a guy who can drive your car, whatever your car may be.  You get a full partner in the job of making your car competitive, giving your team recognition, and he even brings his own cheering section along.  There’s not a lot more you can ask a driver to do.  If you’re in the paddock at Sebring or anywhere else on the racing calendar, ask “Is Shane Lewis here?” and chances are good you will find him.  You will be glad you did.