Defy the Odds, the new short film directed by award-winning director and editor Corry Wiens, is based on the true story of NASCAR driver Bill Lester, the first African American to compete professionally in the NASCAR sanctioned Grand-Am Series and the first African American to win a race.
Defy the Odds is based on Bill Lester’s memoir, Winning in Reverse, and focuses on a man pursuing his passion and letting nothing stand in his way.
At the age of 37, Bill Lester decided to leave his job at a big engineering firm to pursue his passion for racing full time. With the odds stacked against him as a black, middle-aged man in a southern, white man's sport, Bill rose above them all and made history time and time again.
The short film was shot in multiple locations within Tennessee including Arc Studios, the first Nashville-based virtual production studio, powered by award-winning video production company Gear Seven in partnership with the Atlanta-based virtual production team at MEPTIK.
Gear Seven also worked closely Shift Dynamics to capture the high-octane racing scenes at the Polecat Training Center in Fayetteville, TN.
