Bill Lester Dodge Preview
Event: Ford 200
Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Qualifying: Nov. 13th 1:00 PM EDT
Race Start: Nov. 14th 3:15 PM EDT Live on Speed

Bad Luck: “This year’s been a roller coaster. We started out fairly strong, but still got afflicted by the bad luck in Daytona with a tire blowing out three laps to go. Unfortunately we didn’t finish and I was really disappointed by that. Then you have the excitement and high of being on the Pole in Charlotte and then the disappointment of not really being competitive in the race. I mowed Humpy Wheeler’s lawn. It was real tough to take after such a great qualifying effort to have such a poor race performance. Then there are other disappointments like the mechanical things that afflict you. We had a ball joint fail at Memphis, a wheel bearing fail at California when we were running in the top 10 and a problem in Texas. I knew we were going to do well there. There has been a lot of misfortune but at the end of the day all I can say is I did the best I can behind the wheel.”

Evaluating the Driver: “I ask myself at the end of each race if there is anything that I left out there. Or is there anything that I could have done to drive harder. I can’t think of anything, I’ve got my all behind it. We got a top 10 at Kansas, but that race killed me. It was one hundred some odd degrees out there and that was the only race in my career where I had to be taken to the infield care center from heat exhaustion. They made us work for that top 10. It was an accomplishment and a high. I really thought we would perform in the top ten as far as championship, but it’s no cakewalk out there. There are a lot of very experienced drivers with very strong teams that have been together for a long time. They’ve had that chemistry. We’ve made a lot of changes with my team in the last two years as far as crew chiefs and personnel, so it’s hard to get a rhythm going.”

Points: “Consistency is the key to racing well. It’s very hard to make up points in this series, but it sure is easy to lose them. We were 12th in the championship at one point, now we’re 13th. We’re only five away from the guy who’s in 14th trying to get that spot away from us. So being there, running at the end of every race is so important. Matt Kenseth made that very clear this year, he’s only won one race and Ryan Newman has won eight. Kenseth still won the championship.”

Notes:
• This weekend’s truck is Trix. This is the same truck Lester scored his best finish of tenth place at Kansas Speedway in July of this year.

Team Information:
• Front Tire Changer Jeff Davis Lester’s Career Statistics
• Front Tire Carrier John Stancil Starts Wins Poles Top 5’s Top 10’s
• Rear Tire Changer Todd Perryman 52 0 1 0 8
• Rear Tire Carrier Chris Williams Career Money Won: $552,021
• Jackman Tim Horton
• Gasman David Quay Crew Chief: Kip McCord
• Catch Can Tommy Davis Spotter: Kip McCord
• Engine Builder Arrington Manufacturing
- over -

Championship Prediction: “I predict the championship in the truck series is going to be won by a Dodge. They’ve already won a manufacturer’s championship. I think the driver’s championship will either be (Brendan) Gaughan or (Ted) Musgrave. I think Brendan probably has the same attitude most drivers do, if you win the race, then the points take care of itself. I think he will do his best to win the race. I hear he is testing fast out here, but I know he is not going to do anything foolish. The worst thing he could do is not finish. I think Brendan will be passively aggressive.”

Bill Lester’s 2003 Craftsman Truck Series Results
Date | Start | Finish | Laps | Status | Points | Winnings
2/14 Daytona 8 18 97/106 Running 109 $15,165
3/14 Darlington 15 12 144/147 Running 127 $9,465
3/23 Mesa Marin 23 13 255/255 Running 124 $8,190
4/12 Martinsville 17 19 250/250 Running 106 $9,315
5/16 Charlotte 1 15 135/136 Running 118 $11,890
5/30 Dover 15 11 198/200 Running 130 $13,750
6/6 Fort Worth 13 12 167/167 Running 127 $13,165
6/21 Memphis 14 26 128/200 Running 85 $8,990
6/28 Milwaukee 23 12 198/200 Running 127 $10,215
7/5 Kansas 2 10 167/167 Running 134 $14,000
7/12 Kentucky 9 12 150/150 Running 127 $14,940
7/19 Gateway 14 22 141/160 Accident 97 $9,190
7/26 Michigan 5 11 100/100 Running 135 $12,275
8/1 Indianapolis 23 28 191/200 Running 79 $7,090
8/8 Nashville 7 16 148/150 Running 120 $8,640
8/20 Bristol 18 19 195/200 Running 106 $9,315
9/4 Richmond 14 30 143/200 Running 73 $6,365
9/13 Loudon 12 13 200/200 Running 124 $10,040
9/20 Fontana 7 28 85/100 Suspension 79 $10,690
9/27 Las Vegas 10 20 142/146 Running 103 $9,890
10/4 South Boston 24 23 248/253 Running 94 $6,515
10/11 Fort Worth 12 28 114/146 Running 79 $6,935
10/18 Martinsville 22 25 198/200 Running 97 $8,015
10/31 Phoenix 15 20 149/150 Running 103 $9,740
11/14 Homestead
Total 13.45 18.45 3943/4183 - - - 2603 $243,785

Starts: 24 Top-Five Finishes: 0
Wins: 0 Top-10 Finishes: 1 Average Start: 13.45
Poles: 1 Top-20 Finishes: 16 Average Finish: 18.45
Points: 13 DNF’s: 2