Worst to first: Connor Hall charges through field to earn Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 victory
Worst to first: Connor Hall charges through field to earn Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 victory
Not a competitive lap had been turned in Saturday‘s Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway before Connor Hall found himself in a deficit.
A slow leak in his right-rear tire during time trials hindered Hall‘s qualifying effort and relegated him to 23rd in the starting grid. A tire change prior to the green flag sent Hall to the rear of the 32-car field, leaving him with 200 laps to prove his Nelson Motorsports Chevrolet belonged at the front.
Hall made the most of his circumstances by methodically picking off his competition one-by-one. The final obstacle was fending off an intense charge from defending Virginia Late Model Triple Crown champion Trevor Ward, which Hall accomplished to claim his maiden Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 victory.
Finally breaking through for a South Boston win in the facility‘s most prestigious event was fulfilling for Hall in numerous regards.
“I always joked that [South Boston] was going to be the last track I actually got a win at,” Hall said. “I checked this one off the list on their biggest platform. To get to race one of my really good buddies for the win was pretty much a dream come true for him and I.
“Other than the fact only one of us could win, this is as much of a win-win for two buddies as it could be.”
The conclusion to the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 closely resembled how the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway ended last September, except with the roles reversed.
Instead of chasing down a Nelson Motorsports car for the victory, Ward had to play both offense and defense against a familiar red No. 22, this time with Hall driving instead of Landon Huffman. Ward proved resilient on both fronts, as he successfully took the lead back from Hall in the closing stages after losing in on a previous restart.
Despite initially using the bottom line to his advantage, Ward found himself under relentless pressure when Hall found momentum on the bottom inside of 20 laps remaining. Hall swiftly gained the upper hand on his friend, pulling away with the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 checkered flag while Ward settled for second.
The disappointing defeat on Saturday yielded plenty of optimism for Ward. With his small program being reinforced with assistance from 2023 Bowman Gray Stadium track champion Brandon Ward and Reynolds Chassis, Ward said his expectations were met through the first leg of the Virginia Triple Crown.
Ward has every reason to believe another title is imminent following the near miss at South Boston.
“I wish we could have gotten up there and battled a little harder,” Ward said. “I pushed the right front off late in the race on that last restart. I was able to fight it, turn it with the throttle to get the lead back, but it wasn‘t enough to hold [Hall] off. We put on a good show for the crowd and the good lord has blessed me with the opportunity to chase another Triple Crown.
“Going into Martinsville, I‘m really amped up for it.”
Ward knows the path to a successful Virginia Triple Crown defense will involve usurping Hall, who added onto a stellar 2024 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series campaign with his 17th overall victory.
Hall also brought Nelson Motorsports their second victory in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. A key pillar of Late Model Stock culture, Nelson Motorsports previously prevailed in South Boston‘s crown jewel back in 2021 with Bobby McCarty as the driver.
Every aspect of delivering another Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 for team owner Barry Nelson was earned for Hall. From having to recover from a flat tire in qualifying to fending off a close friend for the victory, 200 grueling laps in the summer heat at South Boston left Hall both physically and mentally exhausted.
Surviving such a scorching night required Hall to be disciplined in applying every bit of knowledge he possessed on how to excel at South Boston.
“I know how hard it is to pass here,” Hall said. “Frankly, I think the reason why is because I didn‘t know exactly what I needed in the race car. This year I did a lot of homework and understood through testing what I felt like I needed. My crew chief nailed [the setup]. I didn‘t do much other than being the ding dong behind the wheel.”
Hall hopes the South Boston win serves as a catalyst to close out 2024 by winning his second NASCAR Weekly Series title and his first Virginia Triple Crown. The latter goal will be far more challenging for Hall, as he must maintain the highest average finish amongst his competitors to emerge victorious in the fall.
The journey to a Virginia Triple Crown championship is only beginning for Hall, but the spirited drive put together on Saturday evening showcased that he and Nelson Motorsports are prepared for any scenario.
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