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Bill Lester Drives into NASCAR® History
NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesTM driver Bill Lester drove into history by piloting the No. 23 Waste Management NASCAR® entry for Bill Davis Racing in the Golden Corral 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Lester, fulfilling a lifelong dream, was the first black driver to qualify for a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race in 20 years.
Lester’s racing career is marked by a series of firsts. He was the first African-American to compete in a NASCAR Busch SeriesTM event in 1999, the first to win a pole for a modern-era NASCAR® race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2003, and the first to lead a top division NASCAR® race in over two decades.
He is also one of the few degreed engineers in racing today and is committed to a variety of community initiatives and causes. His outstanding achievements caught the attention of Waste Management, who has been a part of Lester’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team since 2004. Waste Management stepped up its commitment to Lester and supported his historic run in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series in 2006.
Waste Management has nearly 30,000 drivers – now one has driven into NASCAR® history,” said Larry O’Donnell, Waste Management President and COO. “On behalf of all of our drivers, technicians and the rest of our employees, I can say that we are truly proud to stand with and behind Bill Lester as he carries the Waste Management colors into history this weekend.”
Having served notice of his speed and ability from the first time he slid behind the wheel of a Craftsman Truck, the 2005 season was a breakout year for Bill Lester. Driving the No. 22 Waste Management Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing, Lester captured back-to-back poles at Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway and was one of the top all-around qualifiers for the entire season. With two poles underscoring his sheer speed, he sat on the front row for 30 percent of his races and in a top-five qualifying slot 50 percent of the time. He also secured four top-10 finishes and the first two top-five finishes of his career last year. To show all that was no fluke, Lester opened the 2006 Craftsman Truck Series season on the front row at Daytona International Speedway by qualifying next to NASCAR star Mark Martin. His on-track success, determination and competitiveness served notice of his ability, and over the 2005 season, the seeds that would grow into a Nextel Cup ride were planted when both Bill Davis Racing and Atlanta’s Championship Group joined forces to launch an initiative aimed at giving Bill Lester the opportunity to make the move to the Nextel Cup Series. When Waste Management indicated its interest, it completed the picture and for Lester, the partnership is the perfect fit.
“Ever since I joined Bill Davis Racing to drive in the Truck Series I had hoped we would move up to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series together,” commented Lester. “Working with the folks at Waste Management and getting to know their employees and values has made me feel like a part of their family too. When BDR and Championship Group told me they were putting together a program focusing on racing in Nextel Cup, I never imagined Waste Management would make the jump with me. To say I am proud and honored to have this company behind me is an understatement. We are all committed to bringing out the best in this program, and I can’t wait to continue to flip the starter switch and hit the race track in a Waste Management NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race car.”
Bill Lester’s Waste Management Team is scheduled to compete at Atlanta Motor Speedway, at Michigan Speedway for the Michigan 400 on June 18 and at California Speedway for the Sony HD 500 on September 3. More races are expected to be added to the schedule as Lester’s commitments in the Craftsman Truck Series permit. Atlanta’s Championship Group handles program management and planning, and is expected to announce additional program details later this month.
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