Lewis to race tribute car in Winston Cup.

Shane Lewis of Jupiter, Florida announced today that he will compete in the Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen NASCARWinston Cup race at Watkins Glen International.

The 16-time 24-hour event starter has been selected to pilot the Otto Motorsports' Ford Taurus in his Winston Cup debut on August 11th. Lewis, a two-time Le Mans-starter, will drive a special tribute car for Edgar Otto, Jr. of Boca Raton, Florida to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the first NASCAR event held at Watkins Glen in 1957.

By honouring the first NASCAR race at The Glen, the two-tone blue and yellow entry also honours the recent induction of Edgar Otto, Sr. into the International Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame. Otto Sr., a contemporary of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., promoted several of NASCAR's early events including the first at Watkins Glen. The car is being prepared by Alton McBride's Last Lap Motorsports of Denver, North Carolina.

"I am thrilled to be a part of this special effort and eager to show that Edgar's confidence in me is well warranted," said Lewis who will test on July 29-30th at The Glen. "With our success in the past I am sure Last Lap will give me a great car. I know we have a tough road ahead of us. The quality and professionalism of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series is among the best in the world. This will certainly rank up there with my Le Mans starts as a career milestone."

The 1957 Watkins Glen NASCAR event marked the first time the Winston Cup Series, then the Grand National Series, raced on a road course. The race also marked the first at Watkins Glen that paid a purse to the competitors. 1956 and 1957 Grand National Champion Buck Baker won the inaugural event racing counter-clockwise on the New York-road course. Otto Sr. was one of the premier promoters of his time working not only in motorsports but also in music promoting concerts and early rock-and-roll tours for musical pioneers such as Bill Haley and The Comets. Otto Sr.'s induction into the Motorsports Press Hall of Fame marks him as the first true promoter to earn the honour voted on by motorsports journalists the world over.

"I wanted to do something to mark my father's early involvement in the sport of NASCAR Winston Cup racing and specifically the first NASCAR road race," offered Otto who himself drives in the Historic Stock Car Racing Association in cars prepared by Last Lap. "I couldn't think of anything better than sponsoring a car in this event. Shane has driven my cars before including an unprecedented last-to-first place win at Daytona. I feel Shane is the perfect driver to carry my father's banner back into NASCAR Winston Cup racing."

Shane Lewis is the 1998 Professional Sports Car Rising Star award winner and has multiple race wins in the IMSA Supercar and SCCA Pro series. He has driven in 16 24-hour races including two 24 Hours of Le Mans, six 24 Hours of Daytona and six 12 Hours of Sebring. In 2002, he is competing as lead driver for both the #43 Orison Marketing-Planet Earth Motorsports Corvette Z06 in the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series and the #45 American Viperacing Dodge Viper in the American Le Mans Series.