Connor Hall Gunning for Third Straight Thunder Road 200 Win
- Joe Chandler
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Hall Reunites Nelson Motorsports Entry in 20th Running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 June 27 at South Boston Speedway
By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway
SOUTH BOSTON, VA (June 18, 2026) – Connor Hall says winning South Boston Speedway’s Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 the past two years was special. How about three in a row?
“I feel like three would just be the cherry on top,” Hall said. “I feel that would be a pretty big statement.”
The possibility of winning the race for the third straight year has lured Hall to return to South Boston Speedway for the 20th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on Saturday night, June 27. He will be driving the No. 22 Nelson Motorsports entry, the same one he drove to victory in his first triumph in the event.
“Joining back up with Nelson Motorsports was a no brainer,” Hall remarked. “The biggest goal was winning the 200 because I feel like other than Lee (Lee Pulliam, who won the race six years in a row) I'm the only person that maybe has an opportunity of winning it three times in a row.
“I thought it would be something cool to go after,” added Hall, “so that led me to asking Barry (Nelson Motorsports team owner Barry Nelson) and things happened right.”
Nelson said having Hall back behind the wheel is a great fit for his team.
“Connor’s almost like family,” Nelson pointed out. “He wanted to come back and have me provide a car for him to race at South Boston. I said ‘I’m in for that.’ I told him I’ll do what I could to help him.
“It just feels right,” Nelson added. “We’ve had a lot of success, and a lot of laughs, and cried a little bit.”
Hall’s first win in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 came when he was racing full-time with Nelson Motorsports. Nelson feels Hall has as a great shot to give his team another Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 win.
“I’ve always said I don’t go to a racetrack, and I don’t think I can win,” Nelson pointed out. “I’m a competitive person. I coached baseball for 20 years with college kids. I never walked into a baseball field that I don’t think I can win. You’ve got to have that attitude. You’ve got to be prepared and have the right attitude, the right pieces and the driver. It’s a combination of things.”
Hall’s 2024 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 win with Nelson Motorsports was a dramatic one. A tire issue after qualifying forced Hall to start at the rear of the field. He rallied throughout the race, picking off one car after another, and ultimately edged Trevor Ward for the win.
“It was just one of those days where everything went right,” Hall explained. “We had a really, really good car and got to the top. I think I got to fifth or sixth by halfway and was able to relax a little bit and go to work. The car was turning well, and I was able to make it work. Things went the right way and we found ourselves up front.”
Hall was enveloped in an entirely different race in the 2025 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. Driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports, the two-time NASCAR national champion started last year’s race in the top five and had to battle several drivers including Matt Waltz and Tate Fogleman throughout the 200-lap event.
“Last year was just a completely different style of race than the year prior, so that was fun for me,” Hall remarked. “It felt like Craftsman Truck Series racing. I was running the top on one end and the bottom on another, and all over the place just trying to take away lines and what not.”
Hall’s focus is on winning the first two races of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown presented by FloRacing – the June 27 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway and the July 25 running of the Hampton Heat 200 at his home track, Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway.
“Our effort is on the first two races of the Triple Crown,” Hall noted. “I don’t know if I will be able to make the third race. That’s to be determined at a later date. Right now, I’m going to try to win both 200s, and then see where we stand going into Martinsville.”
Hall pointed out that fans will not want to miss the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway.
“South Boston’s one of the best facilities in the country for short track racing,” he noted. “They do a lot for fan hospitality and making sure it’s a great event, a great time, whether you are a fan or a driver. It’s just super racy by the end of it, and I think it’s a really fun race to watch and see how it all shakes out.”
The 20th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on Saturday night, June 27 is the opening race of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown presented by FloRacing, and is South Boston Speedway’s showcase event.
Headlining the four-race Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 event is a 200-lap race for the track’s Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division paying $10,000 to win. The winner will receive a guaranteed starting position in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway in September.
Also included are a 40-lap race for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 20-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division.
There will be an on-track driver autograph session, and a colorful fireworks show will light up the night sky after the final race of the night.
Adult advance tickets are priced at $20 each. Adult admission at the gate on race day is $25. Seniors ages 65 and older, veterans and military personnel, first responders, healthcare workers and students with ID may purchase tickets for $20 each at the gate on race day. Kids ages 12 and under are admitted free.
The June 27 race day schedule has pit gates opening at 11 a.m., frontstretch spectator gates opening at 11:30 a.m., and practice beginning at 1 p.m. Backstretch and Turn 4 parking gates are set to open at 3:30 p.m. Qualifying will start at 3:35 p.m., and an on-track driver autograph session will be held from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies are set for 6:30 p.m. and the first race will get the green flag at 7 p.m.
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