Winning in Reverse

NASCAR has traditionally been a southern white man’s sport, but it was knocked off its axis when Bill Lester entered the playing field. He had not grown up in the sport as so many other drivers had. Instead, he enjoyed racing as a side hobby while he worked as an engineer at Hewlett-Packard. Then, at age forty, while standing on the brink of peril or promise, he quit his job to pursue racing full time. Blessed with natural talent, Bill still had a trifecta of odds against him: he was black, he was middle aged, and he wasn’t a southerner. In other words, he was not the quintessential “good old boy” that NASCAR was used to seeing, and many fans did not hide their contempt for him. But Bill rose above it all, as did his rankings, and he made history time and time again, becoming the first African American to race in NASCAR’s Busch Series, the first to participate in the Nextel Cup, and the first to win a Pole Position start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In Winning in Reverse, Bill reveals how he came to love working on muscle cars as a child, pursued amateur racing, and then finally transitioned to the pros. Listeners will be inspired by his inspirational and encouraging voice and the conviction that fills each page. Whether you’re contemplating a career or lifestyle change, challenging social norms, or struggling against prejudice or bigotry, Winning in Reverse is a story for everyone who roots for perseverance in the face of adversity.