5/28/2007
Bill Lester
POSITION AND PRECIPITATION PLAY A ROLE FOR LESTER IN MANSFIELD
Mansfield, OH | 05-28-2007
Track position is key for a successful race at a short track like the Mansfield Motorsports Park, but throw in four hours and 12 minutes of delayed racing under red flag conditions due to thunderstorms, track position becomes imperative.
Finding that track position never came to fruition for Bill Lester, in the No. 15 Christian Debt Consolidation, Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado, Saturday, May 26th in the running of the Ohio 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race after an engine change in the first practice sent him to the rear of the field for the start of the 250 lap event.
Lester missed the final practice Friday afternoon due to the crankshaft breaking on his Craftsman Truck. Since he already knew he had to start at the tail end of the field because of the engine change Lester took to the track for qualifying to see what his Silverado had for the race. Pleasantly pleased, Lester recorded a lap time of 16.661 seconds at a speed of 108.037mph placing him 13th on the starting grid.
Even with threatening clouds lingering the race started on time with the first caution flag flying early on lap ten when two cars spun in turn two. Lester trying to slow up in time to avoid the accordion effect in front of him tapped into another competitor giving him minor front splitter damage. The plan set before the race was to pit only once at the beginning of the event but the plan was put on hold as the team instead fought rain drops and even evacuation of the track for severe weather. Once returning to the track after the second rain delay the Billy Ballew Motorsports team was able to make the adjustments needed during the race. These adjustments had Lester running times faster then the leaders in the final quarter of the race and crossing the checkered flag with a solid 21st place position at the end of the night.
“We had a good truck when we unloaded." Lester said. “We felt really comfortable with the adjustments we made during the first practice when the crankshaft broke. Now that is a fluke. We’ve been just running through some bad luck and hope that we get thru it soon. With all the rain during the race we had to make more adjustments and the 103 caution flag laps didn’t give us enough time to get upfront. I tapped someone ahead of us after everyone checked-up when the first accident happened. We had a little bit of splitter damage but it was minimal. The guys worked hard on the truck all weekend and I wish I would have been able to give them something more, but we’ll take 21st and head to Dover and some consistency in the race schedule. I have to thank Christian Debt consolidation for coming onboard with us this weekend and we hope to have them back.
Lester and the rest of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers head next to the Dover International Speedway for the running of the AAA Insurance 200 Friday, June 1. For more information on Billy Ballew Motorsports and Bill Lester visit www.BillyBallewMotorsports.com and www.BillLester.com.
Submitted By: Philip Hampton
