Flawless debut: Connor Hall pilots the No. 8 to a Fall Brawl victory in his first JR Motorsports start

HICKORY, N.C. — The expectation was simple for Connor Hall ahead of his debut race with JR Motorsports: Just win.

Hickory Motor Speedway‘s prestigious Fall Brawl served as the setting for Hall‘s first appearance driving one of the most famous rides in Late Model Stock history. Nearly everything went according to plan for Hall, who dominated the evening and held off a valiant charge from Landon S. Huffman to park JR Motorsports‘ No. 8 in Victory Lane.

Hall knew what kind of legacy he was carrying on when he agreed to drive for JR Motorsports‘ Late Model Stock program. Delivering a checkered flag in his first outing with the organization provided Hall plenty of optimism as he prepares to fully embark on this new chapter in his life.

“The only way to truly repay all these people is to end up in Victory Lane,” Hall said. “I‘ve dreamed of being a super competitive race-car driver my whole life, and this is the biggest opportunity of my racing career so far. I know it‘s only one race, but it‘s super rewarding to make things happen, and it means the world to work with these guys.”

JR Motorsports has been a gold standard for efficiency in Late Model Stocks since the mid-2010s when they had Josh Berry as their driver. Among the plethora accomplishments Berry accumulated in a JR Motorsports car included a ValleyStar Credit Union 300 win at Martinsville Speedway and a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national title in 2020.

When Berry moved up to JR Motorsports‘ NASCAR Xfinity Series program, Carson Kvapil was tasked with carrying on the proud tradition of success. Kvapil had no issues shouldering those massive expectations, as the impressive resume he built over the past three years featured a ValleyStar Credit Union 300 victory of his own earlier this season.

Responsibility has now fallen upon Hall to build upon the momentum established by Berry and Kvapil. Being able to pilot the famed No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet was a goal Hall had quietly worked toward, but he admitted he needed time to fully develop into a driver worthy of such a seat.

“I tried coming after this ride in 2021 when it came up after Josh,” Hall said. “I thought I was ready, but looking back on it, I don‘t think I was. I had two wonderful seasons with Chad [Bryant Racing] and a wonderful season with Nelson [Motorsports]. That gave me some time to mature, and now was the time to strike while the iron was hotter.

“I‘d like to lose a couple pounds, but as far as my race craft goes, I feel like it‘s where it needs to be.”

Hall more than capitalized on the three years he patiently waited for the JR Motorsports ride to become an option again. Along with branching out into touring competition, the consistency Hall displayed at his home track of Langley Speedway was pivotal towards him winning two consecutive Weekly Series national championships.

Armed with more accomplishments and experience, everything lined up perfectly for Hall to find his place under the JR Motorsports banner, a move that became official in October. Both sides were eager to start building some cohesion before the 2025 racing season commenced.

The Fall Brawl made the most sense for Hall and long-time JR Motorsports crew chief Bryan Shaffer to start building their notebook. Hickory worked for Hall from a logistical standpoint, but the success he and JR Motorsports have each enjoyed at the facility cemented them as the team to beat for Saturday‘s festivities.

Hall cultivated a similar drive in the Fall Brawl that had guided him to Victory Lane several times at Hickory before. Leading every lap was not paramount for Hall, who effectively managed his tires around the abrasive surface and put himself in a perfect position to secure his maiden Fall Brawl trophy.

As the laps dwindled, Hall saw Huffman‘s white No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet get closer in his rearview mirror. Having grown familiar with the young competitor‘s driving style during past Hickory visits, Hall mentally prepared himself to dig in and fend off Huffman.

The two drivers engaged in an intense battle to the finish, with Huffman showing no trepidation with plenty of tires left for him to utilize. Huffman‘s bravery enabled him to power his way around Hall and hold the lead at the white flag.

It took a last-lap bump and run for Hall to survive Huffman‘s onerous drive and formally notch his first victory with JR Motorsports.

“[Landon] and I have had a couple of awesome battles here,” Hall said. “The last one he came out on top, so I‘m happy to come out on top in this one. [The bump and run] is not something you can do to anybody. You have to know who you‘re racing with, and I credit Landon for being a really talented race-car driver. It was a hell of a battle those last 10 laps.

“Sometimes you‘re the windshield, sometimes you‘re the bug.”

A disappointed Huffman put responsibility on himself for falling one spot short of a Fall Brawl triumph despite getting moved by Hall. Burning up his rear tires earlier in the run is what Huffman believes set into motion everything that happened in the closing laps.

Despite this, Huffman was not ready to surrender a potential victory to Hall. He has appreciated every chance to battle Hall on-track this year and did not see anything egregious about what they did to settle the Fall Brawl.

“[Connor and I] have talked about it,” Huffman said. “I hold no grudges against him and still don‘t, even though he won. I feel like he does the same with me. I have a lot of respect for him and you can‘t hide what he‘s done the past few years, along with what he could do next year. Hopefully I‘m in the way of that.”

Since his father Shane previously competed for JR Motorsports himself, the younger Huffman knows what kind of standard permeates from that organization. Saturday‘s Fall Brawl showcased why no punches can be pulled against JR Motorsports regardless of who is driving for the team.

Finishing second to Hall in only his first race with JR Motorsports provided Huffman plenty of motivation, but making gains with PRG‘s own Late Model Stock program is the most sensible method for him to consistently defeat JR Motorsports and everyone else in the discipline.

“This definitely helps the confidence, but it doesn‘t change the mentality,” Huffman said. “You still have to stay hungry and do all you can. We didn‘t win, and even if we did, there‘s still more cars to race the next race.”

By outlasting Huffman in the Fall Brawl, Hall now has the first of what he hopes will be many crown jewel Late Model Stock victories with JR Motorsports.

Hall put together a strong debut performance even though there are still many details, both big and small, he is still ascertaining in his new environment. The support system in place at JR Motorsports has allowed the transition to be more seamless for Hall, who now finds himself leaning on both Kvapil brothers, Carson and Caden, for advice.

Winning in his first outing for JR Motorsports was a reasonable goal for Hall, but the process toward achieving long-term efficiency is ongoing. Hall feels there is still room for improvement after the Fall Brawl triumph, but he is ready to work with Shaffer and everyone else at JR Motorsports to see how much progress they can make together.

“We still have a little ways to go,” Hall said. “Everything is so new, and every time I sit in the thing, I learn to drive it a little bit differently or think of something that needs to be moved. After another race or so, I think we‘ll be a well-oiled machine.”

Following in the footsteps of drivers like Berry and Kvapil would not be an easy task for any driver regardless of experience. If the Fall Brawl is any indication, then Hall is on the right trajectory to carving out his own legacy in a JR Motorsports Late Model Stock.