Atlanta, GA (June 19, 2021) – The popularity of Bill Lester’s book, ‘Winning in Reverse’ continues to soar and with it comes opportunities that have found the legendary driver passing along wisdom to a younger generation.
A historic moment requires a historic personality, so The SEED School of Miami, Florida’s only public boarding school, asked race car driver, Bill Lester, a pioneer in the world of auto racing, to deliver the commencement speech to its first-ever graduating class on June 12th. Adding to the experience, the graduation took place at The Concours Club, an automotive country club located near Miami.
Feeling at home at a racing facility, Lester stood in the south paddock of the exclusive club and delivered a message of hope and belief, making clear what can be accomplished when one persists in the face of adversity and opposition. Few people know more about persisting in spite of opposition than Lester, who is one of just four African American NASCAR drivers in the last 60-years to race in the NASCAR Cup Series, and he was the first black driver ever in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In 2011, Bill also became the first African American driver in history to win a race in the NASCAR sanctioned Grand-Am Sports Car Series.
The SEED School of Miami’s Head of School, Kara Locke, was enthusiastic about Lester’s message to their inaugural graduating class.
“It was a pleasure to host Mr. Lester as the keynote speaker at SEED Miami’s very first commencement ceremony,” Locke said. “As a trailblazer in his industry and a living testament to the power of following one’s passion and purpose, Mr. Lester inspired our graduates to break barriers and follow their hearts as they set forth in their collegiate studies.
Lester appeared refreshed and inspired after his departure from the podium at The SEED School of Miami’s graduation ceremony.
"It was my honor and privilege to impart a few words of encouragement and motivation to the SEED School's 2021 inaugural graduating class,” Lester said. “This energetic group of students thoroughly impressed me with their vast list of scholastic accomplishments. I have no doubt they are well on their way to living out their dreams."
Lester will now travel to Nashville, TN, this weekend as NASCAR makes it much-anticipated return to Nashville Superspeedway. A guest of NASCAR, Bill will spend Father’s Day at a track now under the direction of African American track president, Erik Moses, where he will interface with race fans and support the NASCAR Cup Series in its first race in middle-Tennessee in nearly 40-years.
“I’m pleased to see NASCAR continue to evolve and to be able to attend a race at a facility where the track president is African American means a lot to me,” Lester said. “I’m excited to not only see Erik Moses, but also to cheer on the sport in their long-awaited return to Nashville.”
At the age of 60, Lester most recently made a return to racing when he piloted the No. 17 Ford F-150 for David Gilliland Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. Lester has recorded 143 starts, led 92 laps and scored three pole awards, while also becoming the first African American driver to ever capture a pole, in the series.
Lester’s book, ‘Winning in Reverse: Defying the Odds and Achieving Dreams’, was released in February and tells the story of his journey from working on muscle cars as a child to an engineering job at Hewlett-Packard to the winner’s circle, as he challenged social norms and battled racism along the way.
Aside from his storied racing career, Lester graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Please visit www.BillLester.com to learn more about Bill Lester and his journey in life and auto racing.
Twitter: @Bill_Lester
Instagram: @BillLesterRacing