Connor Hall dominated at Carteret County Speedway on Sunday night, picking up his first victory at the Eastern North Carolina track.
Hall, who had finished third in a race at Carteret County Speedway last October, was the driver to beat all day. In qualifying, he set a new track record with a blistering 16.082 second lap around the 4/10-mile oval and then went on to lead wire-to-wire in the 30 lap feature race to score the win.
“Luck hasn’t been going our way this year,” Hall told Race22.com Live after the race. “I think it’s starting to turn around. I wish we would have gotten the second race off. I saved a lot for the second race but a win’s a win – doesn’t matter if it’s one-thousandths of a second or a whole straightaway.”
Last season, Tyler Matthews credited a mid-summer win at Carteret County Speedway with helping to turn around his season around. Now Hall is hoping for the same thing as he looks ahead to the rest of the season at Langley Speedway – a track that shares many similarities with Carteret County Speedway.
“It’s a good judgement,” Hall explained. “There’s some good competition, like Tyler Matthews. Chris Burns, he’s good as well. A lot of other guys. Hopefully it turns around and we go next week and win the race at Langley Speedway. I’m hoping obviously. Hoping for some good luck.”
Michael Tilley finished the race in the second position in his first career Carteret County Speedway start while Tyler Horne, Tyler Matthews and Chris Burns rounded out the top-five. Rusty Daniels, who also made his Carteret County Speedway debut, finished in sixth, followed by Eric Winslow, Haley Moody, Joshua Yeoman and Jim Kelley.
Shortly after the conclusion of the first Late Model race, a thunderstorm rolled into Carteret County Speedway, washing out the rest of the evening’s races. Brandon Clements, who has been on a hot streak as of late, was leading the Mini Stock race when the rain came and was awarded the victory since half the race had been completed.
Brenton Irving prevailed in a sensational Legends race, holding off Zach Lightfoot. Irving and Lightfoot swapped the lead several times during the race and ran side-by-side for most of the 30 lap feature, but Irving was able to drive away in the final 10 laps and held off a late charge by Lightfoot to score the win.
Joseph Bryant dominated in the Mini Cup feature race to score the win while Greg Butcher claimed the overall win in the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club race, with Barry Dalton picking up the Vintage Modified class victory.
The next race at Carteret County Speedway will be held on Saturday, June 10th.
VIDEO: Race22.com Race Broadcast from Carteret County Speedway
