DATE: Wednesday, October 22, 1997           TAG: 9710220724

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   53 lines

ASHTON AND CHARLIE LEWIS JOIN HENDRICK RACE TEAM THE CHESAPEAKE BROTHERS HAVE GONE TO WORK FOR THE TEAM IN CHARLOTTE.

The answering machine at Ashton Lewis Engineering in Chesapeake says to leave a message and a number and ``we'll get back to you shortly.''

But it may take longer than that.

Ashton Lewis Jr. and his brother Charlie, who built and raced Late Model Stock cars out of the rural shop in Deep Creek, have closed the doors and accepted positions with the top racing team on the Winston Cup circuit, Hendrick Motorsports.

Ashton Lewis Sr., who was involved in the team with his sons, said both already have gone to work with Hendrick at his shops in Charlotte.

Ashton Jr., who won four races this season at Langley Speedway, is employed in the engineering department. Charlie, who helped build and maintain his brother's car, is working in the chassis and fabrication shop.

Hendrick fields race cars on the Winston Cup circuit for Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, and Ricky Craven. Gordon is leading in championship points this year and Labonte won the title last year.

Ashton Jr., who graduated with an engineering degree from Old Dominion University, brought high-tech racing to Langley this season with help from the Hendrick team.

It was from this connection that the brothers were recruited by Hendrick.

``It happened very quickly,'' Ashton Sr. said.

He said he and his sons traveled to Charlotte to purchase some parts to rebuild a car that his son wrecked at Langley last month. They took photos of the cars they had built and their operation in Chesapeake.

Charlie was offered a job immediately and Ashton Jr., was hired a few days later, their father said.

Ashton Sr. said the family team was at a crossroads and had not completed plans for next year.

``We wanted to move to a higher level than Langley, but had not decided how to do it,'' he said. ``We were looking at both Busch Grand National and truck racing.

``I think the experience the boys get with Hendrick will help on down the road.''

Ashton Jr., 25, began his career in open-cockpit sports cars. He won the 1991 Midwest championship in the Barber Series and became one of the youngest winners a year later on the Zerex Saab Pro Series.

He decided to pursue a stock car racing career in 1993 while working on his engineering degree at Old Dominion.

He designed and, with the help of Charlie, built his own race cars this season, which helped him win for the first time on the stock car circuit. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Ashton Lewis Jr., who has an engineering degree from ODU, brought

high-tech racing to Langley this season and won four races.

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