Bill Lester is a former professional race car driver who graduated from Berkeley with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. After working as a computer scientist and software development project manager for Hewlett-Packard for 15 years, he left to pursue his passion for racing. Bill walked the road less traveled and his racing journey is remarkable. He didn't come from money or influence, his family knew nothing about the sport of auto racing, and there was always an underlying racial component to contend with. But Bill was obsessed with cars and speed and had a plan with a goal - to become a professional race car driver. Despite the many obstacles, his grit, determination, and passion won out and he lived his dream.
Why you should book Bill Lester for your next event
- Inspiring Story: Bill’s journey from a successful career in computer science to becoming a professional race car driver is a truly inspiring story that can motivate and inspire audiences.
- Diverse Audience Appeal: Bill’s story and accomplishments appeal to a diverse range of audiences, including sports enthusiasts, STEM professionals, and those looking for inspiration and motivation to pursue their dreams.
- Experienced Speaker: As an author and speaker, Bill has experience sharing his story and motivational insights with audiences. He is a skilled communicator who can connect with his audience and deliver a powerful message.
Before becoming a professional race car driver, he spent 15 years working initially as a computer scientist and then as a software development project manager for Hewlett-Packard. But he left H-P at 37 years of age to pursue his true passion of becoming a professional race car driver. Lester eventually competed in NASCAR and also raced sports cars professionally. Over his 10-year career, he won over $2 million in prize money, drove over 30,000 laps, earned multiple podium finishes, led laps, and won. In 2012, Bill completed his stellar racing career by proudly representing Team USA during international karting competition.
Bill enjoyed some significant honors and achievements during his racing career. While he was racing in NASCAR, General Mills featured him on Honey Nut Cheerios collector edition cereal boxes for two consecutive years. Lester also appeared on the cover of Black Enterprise magazine and had feature articles written about him in USA Today, The New York Times, and Car and Driver magazine, among many other publications.
Lester performed TV work while he was racing with a two-year stint as a broadcast analyst for the Fox Sports South show called “Around the Track” and later for the NBC Sports show called “NASCAR America.”
Bill is now an author and speaker with his first published work named Winning In Reverse. A motivational memoir, the book identifies his eight keys to successfully achieving his dream of becoming a professional race car driver that anyone can apply toward living their best life.
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