Lester looks to future while respecting past

LOUDON, N.H. -- Looking at NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Bill Lester's stock car resume, you have to wonder just what historical plaudits he could be online to earn.

	Bill Lester

Lester, who is in his first full year professionally racing stock cars, after all has less than 20 career starts in the Truck Series. But heading into Saturday's $483,893 New England 200 at the 1.058-mile New Hampshire International Speedway, he has a valid shot to achieve a milestone.

Saturday is the 40th anniversary of the late Wendell Scott's only pole position in the NASCAR Grand National stock car division. In 1962, Scott, the only African-American driver ever to compete regularly in the division that became the Winston Cup Series, won the pole on the half-mile dirt track at Savannah, Ga.

No other black drivers had made a serious effort to complete a full season in any of NASCAR's national tours until Willy T. Ribbs did it in 2001. One year later, Lester is driving the Dodge Motorsports diversity program truck, and after qualifying a career best third two races in a row -- at Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway -- he's got a legitimate shot.

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But it's true to form that Lester, who drives the No. 8 Dodge Motorsports Ram for Bobby Hamilton Racing, could care less for the historical aspect of the deed. His needs are more basic.

Bill Lester stops for fuel and tires during the MBNA America 200 at Dover.

"I'm not that concerned about setting or breaking any records," Lester said. "I want to win a pole because I'm a racer -- and that is what we all want to do.

"I just want to be the best or fastest on a given day. That's what it's all about."

So far this season, Jason Leffler has been the best at that goal. After 11 races, Leffler has six Bud Pole Awards in the No. 2 Team ASE Ram. NHIS has been reconfigured since the trucks raced there last season and Leffler thinks that is reason enough to shake the previous funk that has consumed him in three previous starts here -- two in Winston Cup and one in the Busch Series.

	Jason Leffler

"I've got a whole new outlook about New Hampshire," Leffler said. "It's not the type of place I usually look forward to, but this year is totally different. We ran exceptionally well last month at Milwaukee and Loudon is very similar.

"I'm excited because it really feels like our flat-track program is right where it needs to be. The team is maturing on pit road and I'm maturing as a driver. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be a threat for the win at Loudon."

Leffler's teammate Ted Musgrave might dispute that. Musgrave's No. 1 Mopar Performance Parts Dodge has a 14-point lead in the standings over Mike Bliss, who has won the last two Truck Series races in the No. 16 IWX/Knight Inn Chevrolet.

The truck teams have one two-hour, 15-minute practice Friday morning before Bud Pole Qualifying to set the 35-truck field is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. A half-hour final practice is scheduled following Winston Cup qualifying for Sunday's New England 300.

"You have to have a lot of motor, but the truck is going to have to turn really good in the center of the corner if you are going to have a chance at winning at New Hampshire," Leffler said. "It's a flat race track and that's the fight -- getting the truck to rotate through the center of the corner and still be able to get up off the corner."

	Ted Musgrave

The Truck Series' point race is the best in NASCAR's three national tours. Leffler is fourth, only 58 points behind Musgrave.

"We had a little trouble with the Mopar Dodge last year, but we still ended up running fifth," Musgrave said. "We're just going to have to put our heads together and try and get a good finish this time."

New Hampshire's slate is completely open this weekend. Three-time series champion Jack Sprague, who won the event from the pole last season, is racing with the Busch Series in St. Louis Saturday night.

Dennis Setzer, who won the 1999 NHIS Truck Series race, is the only former winner among the 38 entries for the 36-truck field.

Winston Cup drivers Kevin Harvick and Ken Schrader, who have entered trucks from their own race teams to get a feel for the track before Winston Cup practice opens at 11:20 a.m. Friday, join them.