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Grand Am
GRAND-AM: Shane Lewis Rolex 24 Chat Transcript
He's done twenty seven 24 hour races after last weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona. Read Shane Lewis' chat transcript from the race!
SPEED Staff  |  Posted January 30, 2009   Daytona Beach, FL
Shane Lewis has forged a career as one of America's most prolific endurance racers of the modern era. Read Shane's chat transcript held at midnight during last weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona. (ShaneLewis.com)
Grand-Am prototype and GT star Shane Lewis stopped by to visit SPEEDtv.com during the Rolex 24 last weekend, and shared his insights with fans just moments after climbing out of the car. Here's the transcript of the chat:

Shane Lewis: Hi Everyone I am here just got out of the 26 Gotham Competition GT car.

[Comment From Scott From San Diego] Hi
Shane Lewis: Hi

[Comment From Jim] Shane do you miss the trans am days?
Shane Lewis: I had some very good times in the past, but I have to admit the Rolex Series is the most competitive racing I have done in quite some time.

[Comment From Paul] How did your stint go?
Shane Lewis: Quite well thank you. We’re very lucky this year that the weather is awesome; temperatures are cool, no rain, and low humidity. I just did a double stint with the same set of tires for both hours and that might have been pushing it but I would have been happy to stay in for a triple if they would have given me another set of tires.

[Comment From Kyle (not Busch) in LV] Can you give us an idea of track conditions, both the track itself and the competition?
Shane Lewis: Overall the track is good, but the bus stop is very dirty and very slippery. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise to me considering it's my 12th Daytona 24 hour. As far as the drivers go, 80% are doing a great job, 15% are completely lost, and the other 5% are the AMA guys that keep trying to jump the bus stop instead of driving through it! I am kidding of course :)

[Comment From Sydney] Shane, what is the difference between lapping at night and lapping during the day?
Shane Lewis: Since I am driving a GT this year, the toughest part at night is the closing speeds and trying to judge those speeds from the headlights of the cars that are coming. Some of the cars have very bright lights that are easy to see, and unfortunately some are actually loose on the nose which causes a strobe effect and it can make it challenging. The good part about the night is the track temperatures are low and tire wear is very good. You can run fast and hard through the entire fuel load. I also like the smell of the campfires at night while driving…
Lewis drove the Gotham Competition Porsche in the GT class at Daytona. (LAT Photographic)

[Comment From Josh] Has your team experienced any problems so far?
Shane Lewis: I just got out of the car after a good run. I was running in the top 10 - 7th at one time. When I came in, the team went to change the right rear tire one of the studs broke off. While we can run with only 4 out of the 5 wheel studs, the chances of another one breaking with the heavy loads of Daytona are very high. We tried to fix it, but lost 2 laps and decided to take the chance and hopefully it will work out until another caution comes and gives us more time to work on it.

[Comment From Ed Zabinski] Hey Dude, great Job so far, thanks for the track info, i am on my way to the pits.
Shane Lewis: Good to hear you are still in the race. Have a good run and drive like the wild man that I know you are. Have fun -- hope I see you on the track.

[Comment From Guest] Shane, did you really ride bulls in high school?...lol How is that like driving race cars? Or is it?
Shane Lewis: Yes it's true, I was California State bull riding champion in high school. I was on my way to ride professionally, but my father hated it, and asked what he could do to get me to stop. I had been trying for years to finish building a race car so I made a deal with him that I would stop riding if he would help me finish the car. I have to say the only similarities are the focus and determination it takes to be the best.

[Comment From Eric Patterson in Phoenix] If you had a choice between running this race on the current configuration or the old one, (without the bus stop), which one would you choose?
Shane Lewis: I ran it 1 time without the bus stop in a vintage race in an 800 horsepower plus high downforce GTP car. While it was amazing to enter NASCAR turn 3 with your foot flat to the floor at almost 200 mph, it takes much more skill to run the bus stop. Now if you would have asked me if I liked the old bus stop - it was way faster and probably more dangerous. I’ll take the old one over the new one any day.

[Comment From Rodrigo] Hey Shane! I have 3 autographed cards of you hanging on my wall. Got them every time you came to Mexico City!! =)
Shane Lewis: Awesome! I really loved the race in Mexico City and I’ll really miss it this year. The track is technical and different then most facilities we have in the US, but the thing I am going to miss the most are the fans. I had such a great time meeting and talking to the fans although, I must admit my Spanish is awful, but I really tried.

[Comment From Scott From San Diego] Reading your bio, I see this is your 26th 24 hour race. (Wow). Which race have you enjoyed the most, and why?
Shane Lewis: I have been fortunate enough to race all over the world, from Daytona to Le Mans, but the most incredible 24 hour race I have driven is the 24 hour of Nurburgring. Don't get me wrong; Daytona is awesome and the facility is great. Grand-Am team puts on an amazing event, but it's really hard to compare something that has over 250 entries on a race track that is over 18 miles long.

Shane Lewis: Hey guys I can take one more question then I have to get out of my sweaty driver suit and grab some food.

[Comment From Scott From San Diego] What you eating? lol
Shane Lewis: Believe it or not, a friend of mine is making hot turkey dinner with all the trimmings. While I can only eat a little, I am looking forward to a hot meal and a quick rest before I get back in.

Shane Lewis: Thanks everyone it was fun chatting with you - I am sorry I couldn't get to all the questions.


Learn more about Shane Lewis at www.ShaneLewis.com.


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