Bill Lester Keeping Busy Testing During in January

Bill Lester has been spending his month of January in planes, flying all over the country, testing just about every kind of vehicle he can to stay sharp, and help prepare himself for the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Lester is coming off of a two-day test at Talladega Motor Speedway and earlier this month, he was among the fastest trucks at the Pre-season Thunder test at the Daytona International Speedway.

"I'm really quite satisfied of our testing results," said Lester. "I learned that the guys back at the BHR shop and at Arrington Engineering did their homework over the winter. It was also my first opportunity to work with my new crew chief, Danny Rollins, and some of the other new guys that will make up the No. 8 Dodge team. Everything went well both on track and in the garage. I'm quite excited about going back for the race, especially since we think the truck we'll bring back for the race will be better than the one we tested last weekend. I'm nothing if not optimistic about our chances for victory when you weigh out the equipment, the team, and the experience I've gained over the last year."

Lester also had a little fun doing some testing for Dodge at the Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona, where he helped test tires and car development for the Viper Competition Coupe.

"I had the honor and pleasure of getting behind the wheel of the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe," said Lester. "This is a factory-built racecar based on the new 2003 Viper SRT-10. I haven't been behind the wheel of a sports car since 2001, and since I come from a road racing background, that's like an eternity to me. It was fun to see if I could still brake, turn right, and row through the gearbox with proficiency. I also hoped to provide the Dodge engineers with valuable feedback, so they can further develop this exciting new racecar."

Needless to say, Lester has been getting a lot of track time, regardless of the vehicle, but there have been a few other things on his mind. One of which is the birth of he and his wife's first child in late March. But for a racer, it is hard to keep his mind off of racing for too long.

"Although the off season is only about a month and a half, it seems like it's a year and a half," said Lester. "Two weeks after the last race in Homestead, I was ready to go racing again. I kept my focus by working out at the gym on a regular basis and by spending quality time with my wife, Cheryl, who is carrying our first child. We're expecting at the end of March, so she needs and deserves a lot of attention from me. I also spent some time in the BHR shop, relaxing with movies, and surfing the Internet."