DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The path to the title may have been different this year versus last, but at the end the results were the same, as Langley Speedway-based Connor Hall captured his second consecutive NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship.
A year after Hall became the first Langley driver to win the championship in the top division of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series in the 74-year history of the track, he became the first to repeat. The feeling was just as sweet the second time around.
“It’s something that I never thought I would ever hear once, let alone twice,” Hall said when asked what it meant to now be called a two-time NASCAR champion. “It feels great. It feels a little different this year than last year because last year I was stumbling upon the opportunity to get close to charge after the championship. This year there was a lot more planning involved, and we did so much work on the front end of the season to get ready for it.”
His approach to the 2024 title was planned out and methodical, as the 27-year old driver now knew what it took to win a NASCAR championship. Hall won 18 total races this year, and finished second in five of his other eight races in the series, finishing in the top 10 in every race he ran.
Two of the highlights of Hall’s season came in Virginia Triple Crown races. After having to start from the rear following a flat tire in qualifying, Hall charged through a highly competitive field to take the win in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway. He then went on to finish second in the Hampton Heat 200 at his home track of Langley Speedway against another tough lineup.
With success comes opportunity, and it was one of those opportunities that created the need for planning out the 2024 Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship battle when Hall joined Nelson Motorsports to also make a CARS Tour championship run this year.
“I knew how everything worked, I knew how the points system worked and I knew what I needed to do better than last year,” said Hall. “I knew I couldn’t withdraw from any CARS Tour events because of my commitment with Nelson so I knew it was going to take more planning. Luckily all of that paid off.
“It all sounds great on paper, but everyone forgets one little point – you can do all the planning you want, but if you’re not winning the races, your efforts are wasted. I was glad to continue to see our cars perform how they did last year and continue to make them better.”
Hall began racing out of a small family-owned team out of his dad’s garage with a team comprised of friends and family. And he once again ran most of the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship season out of that same small garage, with the exception of a select few races – including the Virginia Triple Crown races at South Boston Speedway and Langley Speedway. Those races were run with Nelson Motorsports.
A year ago, after winning his first NASCAR championship, Hall said, “I started Late Model racing in my dad’s garage, and we won a national championship out of the same garage.”
And now he’s won two out of that family-owned operation.
“Connor exemplifies what our goal is with the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and that’s to showcase rising talent in our grassroots programs,” said Joseph Dennewitz, Managing Director of NASCAR Regional. “He grew as a racer both on and off the track and has been an excellent ambassador for the Weekly Series as he chased back-to-back titles.”
In addition to winning the Weekly Series national championship, Hall also won the Southeast Region and Virginia state titles.
“Connor has made a name for himself as a consistent winner on NASCAR’s home tracks,” said Bruce Starnes, Advance Auto Parts’ executive vice president and chief merchant. “He is a tremendous driver and someone who has a bright future in the sport. We congratulate Connor and his family on another incredible season and capturing back-to-back NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championships.”
Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider, will mark five years as the entitlement partner with the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series next season.
The complete list of regional and state Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champions and Jostens Rookie of the Year awards, as well as the champions of the other national divisions, will be released in the coming days.
The Late Model Stock Car season isn’t over, yet, for Hall. He heads to the track this weekend for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway – the nation’s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race and the final race in the Virginia Triple Crown finale, on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:00 p.m. Practice and qualifying begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27.
Hall leads the standings in the Virginia Triple Crown with a 1.5 average finish in the first two races after winning at South Boston and finishing second at his home track of Langley.
Two-time Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion (2005, 2021) Peyton Sellers currently sits in second in the Virginia Triple Crown standings after finishing fourth and third at South Boston and Langley, respectively.
Hall is also still chasing the CARS Tour championship with two races to go in that season, in which he holds a one-point lead over Brenden “Butterbean” Queen.