Bill Lester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Lester
Lester in 2008
Born	William Alexander Lester III (1961-02-06) February 6, 1961 (age 64) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Achievements	First African-American to win a Rolex Sports Car Series race (Virginia International Raceway, 2011, GT Class)
NASCAR Cup Series career
2 races run over 1 year
Best finish	68th (2006)
First race	2006 Golden Corral 500 (Atlanta)
Last race	2006 3M Performance 400 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish	111th (1999)
First race	1999 Lysol 200 (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
143 races run over 9 years
2021 position	89th
Best finish	13th (2003)
First race	2000 Line-X 225 (Portland)
Last race	2021 Fr8Auctions 200 (Atlanta)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 7 3
Rolex Sports Car Series
Years active	1998–2001, 2007–2012
Starts	52
Wins	1
Poles	2
Best finish	3rd in 2011
Last updated on: December 30, 2021.

William Alexander Lester III (born February 6, 1961), known as Bill Lester, is an American race car driver. He used to race part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. From 2002 to 2007, Bill was the only full-time African-American driver in NASCAR's Truck Series. Later, he raced sports cars in the Rolex Sports Car Series. He also raced a few times in the top NASCAR Cup Series and the Busch Series. After retiring from driving, Bill helps make decisions for NASCAR as part of their appeals panel.

Bill Lester's Racing Journey

How Did Bill Lester Start Racing?

Bill started his racing journey on road courses. He competed in series like the SCCA and IMSA. In 1990, he won an endurance race at Sears Point International Raceway. He also finished first in his IMSA debut race there.

Bill Lester in NASCAR

Making History in NASCAR

In 1999, Bill Lester made history. He became the first African-American driver to race in a Busch Series event. This happened at Watkins Glen International in the No. 8 Chevrolet. He started 24th and finished 21st.

The next year, he joined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He raced at Portland International Raceway in the No. 23 truck. In that race, he competed against Bobby Norfleet. This was the only time two African-American drivers raced in the same NASCAR event.

Full-Time Truck Series Racing

In 2002, Bill raced full-time in the Truck Series for Bobby Hamilton Racing. He didn't get any top-ten finishes that year. However, he often finished between 11th and 18th place. He ended up 17th in the points standings. He was also the runner-up for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year award.

The next season, 2003, was even better. Bill earned his first pole position at Lowe's Motor Speedway. A pole position means he started the race in first place. He also had a great tenth-place finish at Kansas Speedway. He finished 14th in the overall championship standings.

Moving to Bill Davis Racing

Bill switched teams in 2004, joining Bill Davis Racing. He continued to race in the Truck Series. His best finish that year was tenth place. In 2005, he had two amazing races. He won two pole positions in a row! He also earned his first top-five finishes.

Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series

In 2006, Bill Lester made his debut in the top NASCAR series. This was the NASCAR Cup Series, then called the Nextel Cup. He raced in the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He drove the No. 23 Dodge.

He qualified 19th for the race. This made him the first African-American driver to race in a Cup Series event since 1986. He was only the sixth in the series' history. He finished 38th in that race. He also raced one more time that season at Michigan.

Leaving NASCAR and Returning

After 2006, Bill left Bill Davis Racing. He raced for Billy Ballew Motorsports in 2007. His best finish was eighth place at Kentucky. He then had to step out of the truck due to sponsor issues.

After not finding another full-time ride, he left NASCAR in 2008. He went back to racing sports cars. But in 2021, Bill announced his return to the Truck Series. He raced at his home track, Atlanta, where he had made his Cup Series debut. He drove the No. 17 Ford for David Gilliland Racing.

Bill Lester's Return to Sports Cars

2011 Rolex Sports Car Series GT car

In 2008, Bill Lester returned to sports car racing. He drove a Riley Daytona Prototype in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. He teamed up with Shane Lewis. In 2009, he finished third at the Daytona race.

In 2011, Bill moved to the GT category with Autohaus Motorsports. He drove a Chevrolet Camaro. On May 14, 2011, Bill made sports car history. He became the first African-American driver to win a race in any Grand-Am division. This big win happened at the Virginia International Raceway. This track is close to the home of Wendell Scott, NASCAR's first African-American winner.

Bill Lester's Life Outside Racing

Bill Lester' is the son of William A. Lester. He is a very smart person. In 1984, he earned a degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. After college, he worked at Hewlett-Packard for 15 years. Then, he decided to focus completely on auto racing.

Bill lives in Windermere, Florida. He lives there with his wife, Cheryl, and their two sons, William Alexander IV (Alex) and Austin Richard. In February 2021, he published his autobiography. It is called Winning in Reverse.