John Hunter Nemechek won in his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start for Kyle Busch Motorsports — holding off team owner Kyle Busch in the process to take the checkered flag March 5 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Even though Nemechek has a victory and playoff spot in the bank, the mission hasn’t changed for the driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, as he heads for Atlanta Motor Speedway and Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200 (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“I don’t think we’re going to change our plan of attack whatsoever,” says Nemechek, who will start from the pole in the first leg of a Saturday doubleheader with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. “We’re here to win races. #Here4Wins is the hashtag we’ve been using since the announcement of myself coming to Kyle Busch Motorsports.
“(Crew chief) Eric (Phillips) and I are on the same page. Kyle, Toyota and all of our partners want to win, and that’s why we’re here. We are going to go try and win everything we can from poles to stages to practice to races. Anything and everything that we can win, we want to.”
Nemechek, who triumphed at Atlanta in 2016 in family-owned NEMCO Motorsports equipment, is one of five former winners in the field. The list includes Matt Crafton (2015), Brett Moffitt (2018), Busch (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2019) and Grant Enfinger (2020).
Busch’s presence sets up another potential showdown between the team owner and his marquee driver. And Busch would loath to lose two in a row.
“At Las Vegas, John Hunter was a little bit better than us at the end of the race, and I hate I finished second, obviously, but it’s nice to see our Tundras getting used to their full potential and running up front,” Busch says.
“I’m excited to have John Hunter racing at KBM this year and to have Eric Phillips back on board. I felt like, when we were able to make that move over the offseason and pair those two together, it was going to be a winning combination. Three races in, we’ve already reaped the benefits.”
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway, AJ Allmendinger is undefeated.
OK, Allmendinger has started only one race in the series at the 1.54-mile track, but the result last year was a milestone win for the driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet — his first in any of NASCAR’s top three series on an oval.
Allmendinger was a part-timer last season. This year he’s full-time with Kaulig Racing, and he already has announced his championship intentions with an oval victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the fourth race of the season.
Once considered a one-trick pony on road courses, Allmendinger relishes a return to Atlanta this weekend for Saturday’s EchoPark 250 (5 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“I have always loved Atlanta,” says Allmendinger, who is fourth in the Xfinity Series standings behind Kaulig Racing teammate Jeb Burton. “It’s such a fun race track to drive because of the worn-out pavement and how much the cars slide around.
“Atlanta will always be special to me after winning my first oval race there. I can’t wait to get back to it this weekend.”
Kaulig Racing boasts an enviable record entering Saturday’s race. For 38 straight races from the start of the 2020 season, at least one Kaulig driver has finished in the top 10. The organization also has placed at least one of its cars in the top five in all five events this season.
In addition, Allmendinger is the only former Atlanta winner in the field this week.
To triumph in the second leg of a Saturday doubleheader at Atlanta, however, the Xfinity regulars will have to beat NASCAR Cup Series interloper Martin Truex Jr., fresh from his victory in last Sunday’s Cup event at Phoenix Raceway.
Plus this weekend, the Atlanta Motor Speedway Xfinity race will serve as the qualifier for the first round of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash program. The highest finishing four NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time competitors at Atlanta will qualify for the first round of the Dash 4 Cash at Martinsville Speedway on April 9.
It’s unusual for the NASCAR Cup Series to run six races to start a season without seeing a repeat winner.
Not since 2014, when Kevin Harvick became the first multiple winner in the eighth event of the season, has the series produced six different winners in the first six races.
Last year, there were two duplicate winners in the first six races — Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. That was the harbinger of a spectacular season for those two drivers, who combined to win 16 of the 36 points races.
Five different drivers have taken checkered flags to start the 2021 season, and that streak is likely to continue at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Folds of honor QuikTrip 500 (3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Harvick and Keselowski have dominated Atlanta in the recent past, each winning two of the last four events. Neither driver has won a race so far this season. Neither has Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate, Joey Logano, who won two of the first four races in 2020.
And though two of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates—William Byron and Kyle Larson—already have tasted victory this year, reigning champion Chase Elliott has not. Current Cup Series leader Hamlin, a seven-time winner in 2020, likewise has yet to visit Victory Lane.
In fact, the top three drivers in the point standings —Hamlin, Keselowski and Logano— all have achieved their current ranks without winning.
Atlanta Motor Speedway hasn’t been repaved since 1997, and the old, abrasive asphalt at the 1.54-mile track favors veteran drivers who can manage their equipment and preserve tire life over the course of a fuel run.
“Atlanta is definitely a tough place,” says Elliott, who finished eighth in last year’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. “The race track has a lot of wear to it—the surface is one of the oldest that we go to—so finding grip is a challenge. The track has a lot of character and is very line-sensitive to where you can and can’t run to find that.
“You really have to hit your marks in Atlanta to have success. I think the track conditions this weekend will be pretty similar to last year in a lot of ways. The No. 9 team and I have talked a lot about last year’s event. That’s how we’re going about the setup for Sunday is from last year and taking things away from how we did—what we did good and what we can improve on.”
If form holds, Elliott will have to improve to beat Harvick, who led 151 of the 325 laps last year, including the final 55 circuits during a 108-lap green-flag run to the finish.
Given Harvick’s strength at Atlanta—not to mention the sizable group of as-yet-winless powerhouse drivers who will start Sunday’s race—it’s likely the streak of different winners will reach six this weekend.
Before you tune in for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), take some time to check out important details you need to know.
An exciting day of Cup Series coverage begins with NASCAR RaceDay at 1 p.m. ET on FS1 before moving over to FOX at 2:30 p.m. ET for the remainder of the race. Green flag is scheduled for 3:19 p.m. ET.
STARTING LINEUP
2012 Atlanta winner Denny Hamlin claims this week’s Busch Pole Award, lining up alongside Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. on the front row. The Team Penske pairing of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski file in behind, followed by Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in row three.
Still searching for his first victory in 2021, the odds favor Kevin Harvick to get the job done Sunday at Atlanta. The veteran wheelman leads the line at 11-2, heading to a place where he has won three times in his career — most recently a season ago.
Truex and Larson narrowly trail at 13-2, with Keselowski at 7-1 and the polesitter’s odds at 15-2 to round out the top five. Full list of BetMGM odds for Atlanta.
TICKETS AND PREMIUM PACKAGES
Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway has sold out of approved capacity tickets for general grandstand seating.
Fans who still wish to attend have options to purchase premium packages for infield and trackside camping, as well as a Club One membership by visiting the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket site.
The NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect this weekend, featuring a tapered spacer used to achieve a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic details to increase downforce.
GOODYEAR TIRES
Cup Series teams have 13 sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials to combat the worn and abrasive asphalt surface. While managing tires at any track is no simple feat, Atlanta provides a unique challenge for teams hoping to gain the extra advantage late in the race.
“Atlanta is one of those tracks that we race on where everyone knows going in – it will be four-tire stops all day long,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “The abrasive surface really wears tires aggressively, and that is something that the drivers and fans seem to enjoy. Not only do the pit crews become more involved in the outcome of the race because teams will take four tires on every stop, tire management becomes a big part of the equation.”
ATLANTA INSIGHTS, 1.5-MILE PARITY
— Atlanta held two races a year from 1960-2010 with the exception of 1961 when three races were held. Atlanta held one race a year from 2011-2020 and will again hold two races in 2021.
— Ford has won the last four Atlanta races, tied for the longest manufacturer streak at the track. Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick have each won two, with Harvick winning two of the last three.
— The last eight 1.5-mile track races were won by eight different drivers and three of the last eight picked up their first-ever Cup Series win on a 1.5-miler.
— Hendrick Motorsports won the last two races on 1.5-mile tracks (William Byron – Homestead, Kyle Larson – Las Vegas). The last time the team won three straight was in 2007 (Charlotte by Jeff Gordon, Atlanta and Texas by Jimmie Johnson.)
2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (236), Brad Keselowski (197) and Joey Logano (185).
ALSO ON NASCAR.COM Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available – as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.
New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more – and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.
After a solid start to the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Erik Jones is all eyes ahead, focused solely on making his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet fast.
Last August, Joe Gibbs Racing announced it would be parting ways with Jones at the conclusion of the 2020 season, leaving him without a ride. In late October, it was announced the Michigan native would be driving the vaunted No. 43 Chevrolet for RPM for the 2021 season. And through the first handful of races with his new team, the promise is there for Jones despite finishing 39th in the Daytona 500. team debut
“We’ve had some good runs,” Jones recently told NASCAR.com. “We’ve got some things we can work on and get better at. It’s been smooth so far, really. We just need to pinpoint the stuff we need to get better at and keep trying to improve on it.”
Aside from his disappointing day at Daytona — he was wrecked out 15 laps in — Jones has a trio of top-20 efforts in four races, including a solid 10th-place run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In the early parts of last weekend’s race at Phoenix Raceway, the No. 43 spent time inside the top 10 before dropping to 20th in the last run of the race due to an ill-handling racecar.
And though it’s still early in the process of adjusting to a lower-funded RPM, Jones is pleased with the team’s ability.
“I’m optimistic at this point in what we can do and where we can excel at,” Jones said. “Definitely the short tracks and mile and a halves have been good to us so far.
“I’m really confident in RPM, what they have for equipment and especially the people. At some point, you can have as good of equipment as you want but it’s really about the people, who’s working on the stuff and who’s making it better.”
Prior to joining RPM, Jones didn’t know what the team was about or what it had for equipment. From the moment he was in discussions about potentially joining the team, however, he saw potential in the team of wanting to be better. After all, RPM hasn’t finished inside the top 15 in the owner’s standings since 2011 with AJ Allmendinger.
However, Jones stated he isn’t surprised the team has shown flashes of real speed, believing the team is capable of running well on all styles of race tracks. Quite honestly, sitting 23rd in points has lived up to his expectations.
“I think we’re close to where I expected to be, so that’s good,” he said. “I just want to see the consistent improvement each and every week. We’ve done a good job of that so far of just getting better at every track we go to. Hopefully, we can keep that going and keep having these decent runs and we’ll keep climbing up through the points.”
Jones’ preseason goal was to hover around 20th in the championship standings and to be in contention for race victories when the opportunity arose. Currently, he’s three positions below his goal but just 35 markers behind the playoff cutoff, currently nailed down by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The young veteran genuinely believes the No. 43 can be in contention for a playoff berth, though – as it was much of the 2020 regular season with Bubba Wallace – as long as the team can keep improving weekly.
“If we keep running like we do, I really think we can keep moving our way up the rankings and get close to being in the playoff hunt,” he said. “Obviously there’s been a lot of different winners this year, which is making things tougher.”
Despite adjusting his preseason goals with a lesser-funded team, Jones believes moving away from a powerhouse organization such as JGR is where he can truly showcase his potential. It is also the first time in his career at the Cup level he doesn’t have a single teammate.
From his perspective, Jones is trying just as hard – if not harder – with RPM as he was with JGR.
“If [we] go out and run in the top 10, that’s a great week for us at RPM,” he said. “If I can go out and help this team in any way and make them a little better than what they were then that’s a great feeling. As a driver, you want to go in and make a group better that you’re working for and try to help them improve.
“I feel like I’m doing all I can to try to improve these guys and get the most out of what we have.”
Admittedly so, Jones feels “a little less pressure” with RPM than he did at JGR, given there’s not nearly as many employees working on the team.
Though a different perspective from years past, racing for a smaller team is enjoyable for Jones.
“It’s fun to go out and overachieve for what people think you should be running,” Jones stated. “To run better than that, it’s a really great feeling. That’s where I think part of the laid-back feel comes from, and part of it for me is being in the Cup Series for a few years now. I think I’ve got a better outlook on it all and what you’ve got to do.”
The Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend where Jones has an average finish of 15.0 in four starts. Meanwhile, RPM placed 21st at the 1.5-mile track last season with Wallace.
Bubba Wallace was honored Thursday by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for his role as a trailblazer in the field of NASCAR.
Wallace has been a leading voice in the garage on issues of social justice, race and humanity. He took part virtually in a luncheon where he spoke about his efforts on and off the track.
Past speakers at the event have included former African-American astronaut Winston Scott, Ambassador Andrew Young, Senator Bill Nelson, Dr. Louis Sullivan and Charlene Hunter-Gault.
During the event, four students were awarded the NASCAR Wendell Scott Sr. Scholarship. NASCAR has been a longstanding partner of the UNCF and worked with the UNCF to provide annual scholarships for more than 15 years.
“It’s important to honor Wendell Scott Sr.’s legacy,” Wallace said. “He was the first one to do it, and while there have been four or five of us that have dabbled into it, I’m only the second African American driving full time since Wendell Scott. It’s been 60 years since his first start, and even though I had my first start four years ago, the sport is changing. We’re bringing in new owners, fresh faces to the sport and opening opportunities for others to join. We’re trying to get a new demographic into the sport and bring in more minorities and that is huge.”
The students awarded scholarships were Bethany McCullough (of Georgia State University), Autumn Ford (of Howard University), Karsten Patrick (of Dillard University) and Pierce Wilson (of Dartmouth College). Each recipient will receive $2,310.00. To be considered for the scholarship, students had to a have at least a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and be enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited four-year college university in the United States. Additionally, the applicants had to submit a video addressing this question: “In addition to internships, scholarships and campus visits, describe how NASCAR can expand and facilitate the inclusion of an engagement with diverse collegiate populations in all facets of the NASCAR industry. The content may expand on an existing initiative or be a new idea.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be among the drivers to compete in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series opener at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track on Wednesday, March 24 (Racing begins at 8 p.m. ET on FS1).
The Bristol race marks the first of 10 Pro Invitational Series races in 2021. The first five — Bristol Motor Speedway on dirt, Talladega Superspeedway, Darlington Raceway, Circuit of the Americas and a track to be determined — will be televised on FS1. The second five will be broadcast by NBC Sports.
Last season, the Pro Invitational Series debuted during the initial shutdown from the COVID-19 pandemic. Earnhardt was a regular participant in those races scoring a best finish in the first race, a runner-up finish at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Earnhardt has been a long time user and fan of iRacing. He joined the company last November as an executive director and was instrumental in the process of getting North Wilkesboro Speedway scanned for the service.
Inclement weather wiped out Tuesday’s portion of the Next Gen test at Richmond Raceway and delayed Wednesday’s session by a few hours, but once the car got on the track with Bubba Wallace behind the wheel, progress was made toward its scheduled 2022 competition debut.
For Wallace, it was his first chance to try out the Next Gen vehicle, and he said he didn’t talk to other drivers beforehand to get any insider information because he wanted to experience the car for himself for the first time.
“It’s different, but it’s a race car at the end of the day,” Wallace said. “There are some things we can learn on, and we’re going to figure it out. The car sounds really cool; from the inside it sounds really mean.”
Richmond was the site of the first Next Gen test on Oct. 8-9, 2019 with Austin Dillon driving Prototype 1. Since then, there have been several tests, including ones at Daytona International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, site of this year’s championship race. Wallace was driving Prototype 3 on Wednesday with Goodyear on hand to help NASCAR test tire wear on the vehicle as it made laps around the .75-mile track.
“We’ve had the same balance from 12 p.m. (when the test started) to this 6 p.m. break,” Wallace said. “One thing I’ve noticed about the car is that the balance doesn’t really change over a long run. But the tires are falling off — we’re testing different constructions and compounds to figure out what tire would work best for a race here.”
Wednesday’s test was focused on the tires, but any time the car is on the track, other information can be gained.
“Beyond the tire development, we’re researching the temperature of the cockpit with some thermal imaging to make sure it’s a little more comfortable for the driver, especially during a long hot summer race,” said Brandon Thomas, NASCAR managing director of vehicle systems.
Making the driver feel comfortable temperature-wise is a reasonable goal, but so is trying to maintain a balance between comfort and making sure the car is challenging enough even for the best drivers in the world.
“As an engineer, there are still some things that I could look at and say, ‘I’d like to do x to make this a perfect machine,’ but that’s not our role,” Thomas said. “Our role is to create a great race car that puts on great races. People want to watch a race where drivers have to dig in to be competitive, not a race where every car happens to drive perfectly.
“Overall, the performance of the car is where we want it to be.”
With less than a month from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener – and return to historic Martinsville Speedway after a decade away — a handful of drivers used midweek to lay down some laps on the half-mile.
Ryan Newman and Ryan Preece tested ground-pounders Wednesday morning at the .526-mile oval. Both of them are set to race in April when the Tour runs at Martinsville for the first time in 11 years. Newman will be racing for Gary Putnam in the No. 77, while Preece is set to be behind the wheel of the No. 6, owned by Eddie and Connie Partridge. Jon McKennedy, who finished second on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2020 for car owner Tommy Baldwin Jr., also turned some laps Wednesday.
Newman has long been excited by the Whelen Modified Tour. For years, he’s made a point to race in the series when he’s at the track with the Cup Series.
“It’s just fun racing against these guys,” Newman said. “They do it quote-unquote for a living, right? We’re all hobby racers, but they do it for a living. They’re the best, and it’s fun to come out and race against them.”
While Preece’s focus has been on the Cup Series since 2019, he, like Newman, hops into a Modified whenever he gets the chance.
“Your ultimate goal is to get to NASCAR’s Cup Series,” he said. “That’s where it is. That’s where you want to be. But at the same time, I know where my roots are. I know where I’ve cut my teeth, I know where I put many hours in the race shop to go and win races, and I enjoy racing these race cars.”
Martinsville is a special place for Preece.
The 2013 Tour champion got his first career Tour victory at Martinsville after Burt Myers was initially crossed the finish line first but was subsequently disqualified after failing post-race technical inspection.
“I want to race,” Preece said. “That’s what I’m concerned about.
“It’s really awesome that NASCAR and the Whelen Modified Tour have been able to put this all together, to come to Martinsville, and go to these premier racetracks because it’s a great opportunity for guys like myself, Ryan Newman, but other drivers that wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to run at a historic race track like Martinsville.”
While Preece came to the Cup Series from the Modifieds, Newman was drawn to Tour competition thanks to their doubleheaders with Cup. Since his first Tour start in 2008, Newman has proven himself more than capable behind the wheel of a Modified. In 27 starts, he has four wins, 14 top fives, and 16 top 10s with seven poles. He also won the 2014 All-Star Shootout. All of those starts, however, have come racing at Bristol and New Hampshire.
This won’t be Newman’s only Tour start of the season. He also plans to race at both Richmond and New Hampshire, when Modifieds and Cup will be at the track the same week.
Newman’s big takeaway from the test: Modifieds sure haul around Martinsville.
“My quickest lap time this morning in our session was an 18.80… at least a half-second quicker than the Cup pole, and we’re not even in qualifying trim with a Modified,” he said.
“Every aspect of a Whelen Modified makes it go faster, and the end result is it doesn’t necessarily go faster at the end of the straightaway, it goes faster in lap time, and that’s what matters.”
Ryan Newman gets strapped into his Modified for a test session Wednesday at Martinsville Speedway. (Reagan Lunn/NASCAR)
Bill Lester had just finished writing a book three-plus years in the making. He cautions that it’s not an autobiography, but more of a motivational memoir that’s meant to inspire using lessons learned from his career in racing.
That backdrop for his book — “Winning In Reverse: Defying the Odds and Achieving Dreams,” co-authored by Jonathan Ingram — got his mind spinning about what a return to that world might look like at age 60.
“I just always in the back of my head kind of wondered what it would be like to go back and compete again,” says Lester, who made the most recent of his 142 Camping World Truck Series starts in 2007. “It just was something that was percolating, nothing that was really actionable that I felt I was really going to make any strides towards, but once I started writing my memoir, I started to get more of … I don’t know if you’d call it an itch, but more of an interest.”
If it’s indeed an itch, Lester intends to scratch that competitive urge in Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200 (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He’ll drive the No. 17 Ford for David Gilliland Racing with the support of area Ford dealers, backer Tommy’s Express Car Wash and series entitlement sponsor Camping World — all pieces that came together after Lester announced his Atlanta intentions last month — and the desire to promote his book’s uplifting message.
It won’t be the first time he’s defied conventional racing wisdom on age norms. In a delightful full-circle twist, Lester will be back at the Atlanta track where he made his Cup Series debut in 2006, then as a 45-year-old veteran with rookie stripes and the first Black driver to race in NASCAR’s top division in almost 20 years. He’s also back in the series that became his full-time racing home in his 40s.
“Just feel like all of the stars have aligned, so here we are,” Lester says. “I’ve always felt like I was in good enough shape to do it. I always felt like I had the desire to still race and be competitive and be fast, and we’re just going to find out whether or not that’s all true.”
**
Bill Lester finished 38th in his first Cup Series start on March 20, 2006, his No. 23 entry ending up six laps off the pace in a Monday start delayed one day because of rain. The accomplishment was in simply making the 43-car field in a competitive qualifying session that sent nine teams home.
Lester recalls that the odds may have been against him before time trials even began. He drove a Bill Davis Racing Dodge that was lacking factory support, and the best the car could manage in practice was 36th on the speed charts — all of which added to his pre-qualifying anxiety.
“It was a car that maybe wasn’t as well-prepared as most people would have thought, others in the field would have been,” Lester says, “but we kicked it out of the park.”
Jamie Squire | Getty Images
As his two-lap qualifying run began, the FOX Sports booth of analysts Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds had cast a degree of doubt on his prospects, based on both his practice performance and his opening lap’s corner entry. Lester proved any doubts wrong by making gains that eventually placed him 19th on the starting grid. Play-by-play broadcaster Mike Joy’s voice went up a notch after Lap 1, with Waltrip remarking “holy schmoly” under it before giving Lester his due.
His times were nearly identical, registering 29.102 seconds on his first lap and 29.104 on the second. A pep talk by his crew chief, Ricky Viers, had helped, but so had his determination in pushing the car to its limit.
“I just wanted to not leave anything on the table,” Lester recalls. “I just wanted to make sure I had that accelerator pedal down pretty much as hard as I could, for as long as I could. I barely breathed it going into Turn 1, barely breathed it going into Turn 3, and was back on the mat as hard as I could, as quickly as I could. As it turned out, it wound up being two pretty astounding laps.”
Lester celebrated with his family after becoming the first Black driver since Willy T. Ribbs in 1986 to earn a Cup Series start. He had scored two top-five finishes and three pole positions in his Truck Series career to that point, but Lester looks back and still considers his underdog top-20 qualifying effort in NASCAR’s big leagues as one of his proudest highlights.
“For me it was all about making that race with all the hoopla and fanfare made around the fact that this was the first time in so many years a Black driver has raced at the top level of NASCAR,” Lester says. “I definitely did not want to go home.”
**
Lester made one more Cup Series start that year at Michigan, then came up short in qualifying at Auto Club Speedway in California. He rounded out his driving days in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, a road-racing stint highlighted by teaming up with Jordan Taylor for a class win at age 50 in 2011 at Virginia International Raceway.
Since then, Lester says he’s spent his time tapping into his entrepreneurial side, staying active as a real-estate investor living in Atlanta’s north side, becoming an author, but also holding down what he calls “Mr. Mom” duty in helping to raise his two teenage sons, Alex and Austin, with his wife, Cheryl. “I’ve just wanted to be there in their life,” he says. “When you’re racing, you’re on the road, you really don’t have a lot of time to really be present in their lives.”
Mike Zarrilli | Getty Images
The NASCAR he returns to is in some ways different from the one he left. The sport underwent a reckoning on race during a tumultuous 2020 and redoubled its efforts to be more inclusive, including banning the Confederate flag last June. “I just … that blew me away,” Lester says. “So when (NASCAR president) Steve Phelps made that statement last year, I was so moved by it and so compelled that I sent him an e-mail message just congratulating him and thanking him for the statement that NASCAR made.”
He credits Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace, who now carries the car number 23 that he once campaigned, with being a spark for positive change.
“Their ears opened, their minds opened and with Bubba leading the charge with the platform he has, he was able to get NASCAR to see a greater picture and to reflect the inclusivity and the reflection of being America’s sport that they tended to indicate they were,” Lester says. “They put their money where their mouth was, and I was just really pleased that that was the case. So that was a great stake in the ground.”
The look of the Truck Series that welcomes him back is also different. Veteran faces still dot the grid, but Lester will be the oldest driver in the field, racing against younger and unfamiliar up-and-comers aggressively working their way up the developmental ladder. “I’ve watched it and I’ve seen, from what I can tell, a whole lot of carnage,” he says with a laugh. “These guys and girls are really going hard at it.”
As for his return, Lester says he’s aspiring for a more measured approach, insisting he won’t try to be a first-lap hero from the 31st starting spot. If nothing else, he intends to satisfy his curiosities in Saturday’s start, realizing another dream with a familiar racing backdrop.
“It’s been a very fluid, dynamic situation that’s been taking place ever since I stopped racing professionally, but all that aside, it’s a big weekend coming up for me,” Lester says. “I’m looking forward to it, and I feel like I’m prepared. We’ll just see what the racing gods have in store for me.”
