09-18-2006 | TruckSeries.com Report
Bill Lester and the No. 22 Waste Management Tundra team were seeking a little magic at the "Magic Mile" this weekend. After four consecutive top-25 finishes, the team expected to continue that streak in the New Hampshire 200. Unfortunately, the magic escaped the team, as an early-race accident abbreviated the No. 22 team's day. Lester struggled to find a comfortable balance during both of Friday's practice sessions. He told his crew the truck was edgy on entry and would not turn in the center of the corners. The team changed the front end geometry, hoping it would help the attitude of the truck. But nothing seemed to help. At the end of the final practice session, crew chief Doug Wolcott was left wondering what he could put underneath the truck that would make it fast. Lester had a late draw in Saturday morning's qualifying session. His time of 29.940 seconds was more than .5 seconds faster than his practice times and earned him the 20th position on the starting grid. He told his crew the truck was really good on entry of the turns, and he thought it would be really strong for the race. However, the team never received the chance to realize the truck's potential. Lester was at the top of a three-wide pack going into turn one on the second lap of the event. He lost control of his vehicle and backed it into the outside retaining wall. The damage was severe enough to end the No. 22 team's day. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads west to "Sin City" to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, Sept. 23. The race can be seen live on the Speed Channel.