Bill Lester prepares for the start of the Chevy Silverado HD 250 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach on February 16, 2007.
Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
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Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Bill Lester prepares for the start of the Chevy Silverado HD 250 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach on February 16, 2007.
Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Former NASCAR driver Bill Lester, one of only seven Black drivers to race in NASCAR's top-tier cup series, wanted the Confederate flag gone when he raced more than a decade ago, but the time wasn't right, he says.
Bubba Wallace, currently the only Black driver in stock car racing's top circuit, called for NASCAR to ban the display of Confederate flags at its races on June 8.
Lester, who came to NASCAR after working in tech in California, says he was an "oddball" in the sport and had to do his best to understand his teammates — including their affection for the Confederate flag.
