RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC — Bill Lester, driver of the No. 8 BHR Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will be the luncheon speaker on Tuesday, May 18, at the ninth annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS). GAAS 2004 will take place on May 18-19, at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Ill.
Lester’s path to NASCAR racing has been very different from that of most of drivers. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1984, and joined Hewlett-Packard as a project manager. After several years of working in the high-tech industry during the week and racing on the weekends, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time professional racecar driver.
He has raced in the SCCA Series, International Motor Sports Association’s (IMSA) GTO Series and several other U.S. sports car series. His racing accomplishments include 1985 and 1986 SCCA Series Northern California Region Rookie of the Year title, and the SCCA GT-3 Regional Road Racing Championship.
In 1999, Lester got his first big shot with NASCAR when he got the opportunity to race at Watkins Glen, NY, in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. Lester had a solid run, starting in the 24th position, and moved into the top ten before finishing 21st after an on-track altercation with another competitor.
Lester made his first start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2000. He made five starts for BHR in the Truck Series in 2001, before joining the team as a fulltime driver in 2002.
More information and registration forms for GAAS are available at: www.globalsymposium.org.
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