October 15, 2003

Bill Lester Talks about Difference One Year Can Make in Martinsville

To the End: “The best way to make it to the end in Martinsville is to keep all the fenders and nose on the truck. You have to be lucky. You have to be fortunate to be at the right place at the right time, but you have to be patient and realize there are 200 laps in the race. This is a short race compared to the others because it is only a 100-mile race. So the bottom line is to keep your nose clean and your fenders on. You have to give and take. That is easier said than done because everyone is so aggressive there. The key thing for us is to be there at the end of the race.”

Differences in One Year: “The first time I went there I was a rookie. I got absolutely no respect. I was pretty much abused around the track. The second time I went there I just didn’t really put up with anything. I gave as good as I got and was a little bit more patiently aggressive. I had a better truck underneath me too. All things combined the second time fielded a better finish. I think the biggest thing I learned was to roll out of the gas a little early. I learned to save the brakes and I made sure that I rolled through the corners and got back to the throttle as fast as I could. I have a tendency from my road racing background to dive into the corners as deep as I can go and in this sort of situation, as I learned from testing at Greeneville Pickens, you have to roll out of the gas a little bit earlier, let the truck flow through the corner and try to keep the gas down as far as you can. The key thing is coming out of the corners, not going into them.”

Tight, Flat Track: “Martinsville is a tight, flat, short track. It’s tough to pass on because there is no banking, but you can still race in the high groove. You have to be able to get good forward bite coming off the corners. That is key. We had that at IRP and are looking to capture that same sort of feeling when we unload in Martinsville.”

Notes:

· This weekend’s truck is Rocket. Last time it was raced was in South Boston, where Lester finished in the top 25.

· The last time Bill Lester raced at Martinsville Speedway he was spun on lap 60, but still managed to finish on the lead lap.

· If Lester and one of his teammates finish in the top ten this weekend, BHR will have 100 top-10 finishes under its belt.

Black Tie Event: “Last night I got the chance to walk the red carpet at a black tie event here in Atlanta. It was a chance for local celebrities to support a worthy cause. Warrick Dunn, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, had this event for the Warrick Dunn Foundation last night. His foundation gives single mothers an opportunity to get housing and other assistance they need on things through charitable contribution. I got to meet with some people that were prominent here in Atlanta. It was a great time and for a good cause.”

For More Information see www.bobbyhamiltonracing.com