Young Racer Conner Weddell Outdriving Expectations at SOBO

Teenager is Raising Eyebrows, Proving Doubters Wrong with Late Model Success

By Joe Chandler

Director, Public Relations

South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, VA (June 4, 2026) – Conner Weddell raised a lot of eyebrows when he nearly beat Lee Pulliam in his South Boston Speedway debut.

Weddell took the lead from the multi-time NASCAR national champion, led 15 laps and finished second to Pulliam in his first-ever South Boston Late Model Stock Car race on March 21.

Some fans perhaps thought it was a one-time thing – that given the level of the competition in the track’s Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division Weddell likely would not be up front on a consistent basis throughout the season.

The 16-year-old racer from Centerville, Maryland known as “C-Weed” is proving doubters wrong.

Weddell, who races with Tyler Hughes Motorsports, rang up a possible track record five straight third-place finishes in his last six starts dating back to May 2. He snapped that record with his second runner-up finish of the season on May 30.

Conner Weddell (8) leads Lee Pulliam (1) and Trevor Ward (77) during the first Hitachi Late Model Stock Car feature of the 2026 season at South Boston Speedway. Weddell would finish second to Pulliam after leading 15 laps.

Thus far Weddell has logged seven Top-5 finishes and 8 Top-10 finishes in his 10 starts at South Boston Speedway. He sits fourth in the South Boston Speedway point standings, just 10 points behind eight-time South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers, and 30 points behind Trevor Ward and Landon Pembleton who are tied for the lead in the chase for the track title.

Notably, he stands sixth in the current NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts Division I national standings.

The success the teenager is enjoying this season has exceeded his expectations.

“It’s way better than what we expected to come down here and do,” Weddell said with a smile. “We came down here with the mindset of hopefully finishing in the top seven, and then we almost beat Lee Pulliam who is one of the best to ever race here. We’ve run 11 races this year, and I think we’ve finished in the top three something like eight times. That’s a really good track record, and I’m really happy with that. I’m super grateful.”

People want to know what is fueling the young racer’s success.

Weddell’s answer – hard work.

“Tyler (crew chief Tyler Hughes) and I work hard on the car five days a week at the shop,” Weddell pointed out. “We work so hard and I’m grateful our work shows. I’m just really grateful to be able to do what we do.”

Hughes points out Weddell takes the work seriously.

“He works really hard,” Hughes said. “He comes in the shop and works on his own race cars. He's learning and being hands on in the shop as well. Conner’s not some kid that just shows up with a helmet bag. He hangs out with me a ton and it's a lot of fun to do it like that because even though we've known each other forever we get to still learn more about each other every day.”

One avenue to success is having the right attitude. Hughes says the young driver has it.

“He's always very receptive to criticism and trying to be better every week,” explained Hughes. “He's not stuck in his ways of, ‘hey, this is how I drive.’ He's always very receptive to that and learning and building off of that. I think that's why his learning curve is so sharp right now, and what's making him better every week. He's always looking at GoPro footage and watching races, watching how people react on the racetrack to certain scenarios and trying to apply them to his race craft. Conner’s just very adaptive from that point of view.”

Next up for Weddell is the 125-lap Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division race that will be feature race of the Benchmark Community Bank Race Night event on Saturday night, June 13 at South Boston Speedway.

That race is the last of two 125-lap races slated for the division this season. It’s the final race at South Boston Speedway before the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown opener, the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on Saturday night, June 27 at South Boston Speedway.

Weddell feels he and the Tyler Hughes Motorsports team are in a good place heading into the 125-lap race on June 13.

“We’ve got a really good long-run car, and I think that’s going to play in our favor for both races,” Weddell remarked. “The next race is a little more than half of the ‘200’. I feel like that will be a pretty good practice for us. It will be huge in terms of mental practice, and I hope the weather will be hotter. We’ll just take it one step at a time and see where we end up.”

Six races are slated for the Saturday, June 13 Benchmark Community Bank Race Night event. Along with the 125-lap race for the Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division that headlines the event, the night’s racing action will include a 50-lap race for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, twin 15-lap races for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division.

The Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club will make its second visit of the season to South Boston Speedway and will be featured in a 35-lap race as part of the night’s racing action.

The Saturday, June 13 event schedule has registration and pit gates opening at 2 p.m., practice starting at 3:25 p.m., frontstretch grandstand gates opening at 3:30 p.m., trackside parking gates opening at 5:30 p.m., qualifying at 6 p.m., pre-race ceremonies starting at 6:45 p.m. and the first race of the night starting at 7 p.m.

Adult advance tickets are priced at $12 each. Adult admission at the gate on race day is $15. Suite passes are $40 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, veterans and military personnel, first responders, healthcare workers and students with ID may purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate on race day. Kids ages 12 and under are admitted free.