Bill Lester
- Formally trained and employed Computer Scientist who risked it all, and became a full-time professional NASCAR driver at age 40 and lived his dream
Travels From
Georgia
Former NASCAR driver opens up about being 1 of only 7 black drivers
Bill Lester Speaker Biography
Bill Lester has quickly made an impact on the world of NASCAR racing, earning a spot with Bill Davis Racing and Team Toyota in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He is a modern-day trailblazer in terms of NASCAR’s diversity initiative, and has demonstrated the speed, charisma and media skills to deliver winning results on and off the racetrack.
Winning SCCA Championships, racing in the Trans-Am Series and at the 24 Hours of Daytona may not be the most traditional path to NASCAR, but coming from a roadracing background in California, in 1999 Bill found himself behind the wheel of a Busch Grand National car at Watkins Glen, one of the most challenging stops on the circuit. Bill served notice of his ability by running in the top ten during his debut and the doors that led to a full-time ride in the Craftsman Truck Series began to open.
In 2002 and 2003, Bill drove for the Dodge Dealers team fielded by Bobby Hamilton Racing, and showed he had the speed and ability to set pole position, lead races and contend for wins. In 2004, Bill Lester became a full time NASCAR driver for Bill Davis Racing and Toyota Motorsports, racing in the Craftsman Truck Series. Now a four year NASCAR veteran, Bill Lester currently drives the Toyota Tundra #22 for Bill Davis Racing’s Toyota Motorsports official factory entry into NASCAR’s truck series.
Lester earned the fastest qualifier ‘pole position’ at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, set the fastest lap of the race at Homestead, and gained his first top-10 truck series finish (Kansas Speedway) during his tenure with Hamilton from 2002 to 2003. Bill also led races at Nashville in 2003 and at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2004. In 2005 Bill Lester accomplished the impressive feat of qualifying in the Number One Pole Position twice, in the Top Five 50% of the time, and on the Front Row in 30% of his races! He ended the 2005 season by breaking the track record in qualifying at Homestead , and finishing a competitive fifth in the race. The 2006 CTS season began with Lester up front again, qualifying on the front row next to Mark Martin at Daytona International Speedway. In March of 2006, Lester climbed behind the wheel of a Nextel Cup racecar for the first time.
Sports speaker Bill Lester currently resides in Atlanta , Georgia with his wife Cheryl and son Alex. After earning an Electrical Engineering/Computer Science degree at the University of California, Berkley, Bill joined Hewlett-Packard in 1985 began building his racing career on weekends at tracks in Northern California. Bill is focused on giving back to the community and tirelessly gives his time, energy and financial resources to many charitable organizations.
To book Bill Lester call Executive Speakers Bureau at 901-754-9404.
• Teamwork - a critical component to utilize when attempting to accomplish common goals. Using examples from his background both in professional auto racing and corporate America, Bill cites how collaboration brings forth best ideas and synergies. Teamwork fosters cooperation and incorporates different views, knowledge, and experiences to arrive at optimal solutions to problems.
• Perseverance - Bill shares personal stories of how persistence is a cornerstone to his personal achievement and success, just as it is to that of others. Determination is just as key. He shares examples of how utilizing different techniques that encourage perseverance can render obstacles once thought insurmountable to become attainable.
• Innovation - is key to navigating and advancing in todays’ society. It is no longer business as usual. Pivoting is the new normal. Reinvention, and the creation of newly developed strategies, processes, and methods is integral to both business competitiveness as well as personal achievement and growth. Bill thoughtfully provides insights to support these statements owing to his experiences in both the high tech sector and the racing industry.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Whether it was attending a high school with a student body of 2600 students of which only a dozen or so were black, or being one of only a handful of black students to graduate a top university with an engineering degree, to working as one of the few black project managers in Silicon Valley during the high-tech boom of the 80s, or driving race cars in the rarified air of NASCAR, Bill grew accustomed to typically being “the only one in the room”. He reflects on these experiences and how he navigated them to his benefit. He also speaks to the power of embracing diversity and how incorporating people of different backgrounds and experiences can lead to more effective and productive outcomes.
