Connor Hall to Make JRM Late Model Debut at Hickory This Weekend

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 7, 2024) – A new era for JR Motorsports’ title-winning Late Model team will begin Saturday at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Connor Hall, the two-time and defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion and runner-up in the zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car championship last season, will make his first start for the team in the annual Fall Brawl at the venerable HMS oval, under the direction of team manager Bryan Shaffer. He replaces Carson Kvapil, who will embark on a career in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season, in the team’s No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet.

Hall, in his second full week with JRM, is approaching this race and the coming season with a lot of optimism.

“I’m ecstatic, I’m in the best place I could possibly be and everyone has the same wants and wishes, and that’s to go out and win races,” Hall said of his new team. “I just want to try and learn as much as possible this weekend, put together a good showing and make it as much of a successful first outing as possible.”

Racing for JR Motorsports as opposed to trying to beat JRM will be a new experience for the Virginia native, but it’s an exciting opportunity, Hall said.

“Frankly, it’s better to be with JRM than racing against them,” he said. “I’ve had a good time in my second full week with the team and I am trying to fill the driver role. I’m not trying to do anything different than what Josh (Berry) or Carson (Kvapil) did, I’m just trying to work under Bryan and Slim (Josh Tarratt-Hill) and learn as much as possible.”

As a reminder, the last two drivers of the primary Late Model for JRM-Berry and Kvapil-have gone on to the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Berry went to the NXS first before ascending to the NASCAR Cup Series this season, and he’ll be back in the series next season.

Asked to pinpoint what makes the JRM program so hard to beat, Hall had the answer.

“They are so consistent,” he said. “They miss small. Even on a bad night, they still finish fifth. When you’re in a championship battle against JRM, that makes it really, really hard. The car is always good, so beating them was a challenge. In the grand scheme of things, they were always very, very consistent, points-wise.”

As for this weekend’s first opportunity, Hall is looking forward to the process.

“I think right now it’s just everything is different,” he said. “Working with Bryan is different, him working with me is different. People underestimate how hard it can be these first couple of weeks to know exactly what everyone needs. I’ve never driven this car through a long run or late in the race. I don’t know what to expect. I’ve talked with Bryan and Carson a lot so that I will know what to expect and provide better feedback to make sure we’re fast at the end of the race.”