CORDOVA, MD :: 18-year-old Tyler Hughes is optimistic about his 2015 season as he teams up with Paul Green and G2 Racing to compete for the full season at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia.
Hughes is a former champion in the Legends division at the now-defunct Old Dominion Speedway in Mansassas, Virginia – winning that championship in 2011. Old Dominion is also where Hughes made his Late Model Stock Car debut in 2012. He recorded a victory back on June 16, 2012 – his only victory in Late Model Stock Car competition.
When Old Dominion Speedway closed down, Hughes followed many of Old Dominion’s racers down to Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina, racing there full-time in 2013. In 2014, he was unable to secure funding to compete for a full season and only raced a handful of races at Shenandoah Speedway in Shenandoah, Virginia. Now, in 2015, Hughes is back and hopeful he can contend again.
“Basically, this all came of the blue,” Hughes said. “Paul [Green] called me while I was racing Legends at Summit Point. He said he wanted to put me in the car and see how I would do in his equipment. His words were that he’s got the money and equipment to win races and he thinks I have the talent and that’s why he wants me in the car.”
Hughes said he’s excited about the deal because he’s “never had the best equipment to run at the front in a Late Model” and he feels Green and G2 Racing gives him the best opportunity.
“Honestly, we’re going to have to go down and test the car,” Hughes explained. “I feel like I’m being put in good equipment to win races and compete with some of the biggest names. I say we’re going to start off with let’s get some top-five finishes and get the setup on the car right and eventually get after wins. Our goal is to go out and win races of course. We have to get the car dialed in but I feel confident that I can win races.”
One obstacle Hughes will face immediately is the differences Langley Speedway, which is largely flat all the way around, and Old Dominion, Southern National and Shenandoah which all have (or had) measurable banking. Hughes says he’s competed at Langley before in a Legends car, but that was before the repave so, not only will he have to get used to driving the bigger Late Model Stock Car at Langley, he’ll also have to cope with the significantly faster speeds brought on by the new pavement which was laid down prior to the start of the 2013 season. Hughes is up for the challenge.
“I feel like I can pick up on the track pretty quick again,” a confident Hughes remarked. “I know it’s going to be different from a legend to a Late Model and from the old pavement to the new. As long as I get laps under my belt, I think I can get used to the track and pick up on it quickly and get experience from testing. It might take some time but I think I can get used to the track.”
Along with competing in the Late Model Stock Car, Hughes could possibly compete in NASCAR K&N Pro Series at Langley, Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware and the Virginia International Raceway road course in Alton, Virginia.
Paul Green, who is a veteran competitor from Old Dominion Speedway, said he’s “very excited about the deal” with Hughes, saying Hughes is a “very talented driver” who’s never had the equipment to showcase his talent. Green also stated that he is taking a break from racing, for now, and focusing on being a team owner and engineer. He also said that the team would compete at Dominion Raceway, which is currently under construction in Thornburg, Virginia, later this season if the track opens sometime during the 2015 season.
