A couple of CARS Tour championship threats in Connor Hall and Brenden Queen returned to their home track for the weekend and proved on Opening Night that wins at Langley Speedway still run through them.
Connor Hall and Brenden Queen finished first and second in both halves of the Late Model Stock Twin 50s on Saturday — the second of which was especially impressive as it came following an eight-car inversion from the opener.
Additionally, Hall and Queen have had some battles in Hampton, Virginia over the years, but it’s started to forge a great deal of respect and that was on full display Saturday night.
“I was kind of coming back into what I call ‘Brenden’s Country,’ because he was so good here last year,” Hall said. “Brenden and I have actually worked really hard on being friends more than foes, and it’s been fun. People say sometimes there was a thing between us, and maybe there was but we have raced each other since karting, and we’ve always first class race teams.
“I can be friends with anyone, but once we put on the helmets it’s business, and tonight was about fun for both of us.”
The invert allowed that professionalism to shine through as Queen worked his way from seventh to the lead in 20 laps. Hall followed him every step of the way and made a clean pass after five hard laps of racing and drove away to lead the final 25 laps.
All told, Hall led 75 of the 100 laps run on Opening Night.
“Luckily this thing turns really good on cool nights,” Hall said. “Probably got to work a little bit to get us good for the warm weather coming but it was really, really good tonight.
“I’m just blessed and very, very fortunate to do what I do.”
While both drivers previously ran regularly around Hampton Roads for their family owned programs, Hall and Queen came to Langley with their CARS Tour groups in Chad Bryant Racing and Lee Pulliam Performance respectively.
“I wouldn’t call it a clinic especially against a field like this, Brenden really good here, and it’s a matter of hitting the nail on the head or not,” Hall said. “Hedgecock chassis gives us a great products.
“I can’t say enough about them. The team worked their tails off and gave us a pretty good piece. My mentors, Chad Bryant and Steven Civitarese, they’ve taught me so much about building these and making them fast.”
They also dominated the first race from the front row.
Of note, from an early championship standpoint Mark Wertz finished third in the first race but 11th in the second. Greg Edwards finshed fourth and third in the two races. Danny Edwards finished seventh and sixth. Hall and Queen are racing full-time in CARS Tour and will not be at every Langley race this season.
Additionally, both Late Model races had full fields for NASCAR national, regional and state points purposes.
Twin 50 No. 1
- #77 Connor Hall; 50
- #03 Brenden Queen; 50
- #55 Mark Wertz; 50
- #21 Greg Edwards; 50
- #12 Nick Smith; 50
- #51 Ryan Matthews; 50
- #26 Danny Edwards; 50
- #31 Cole Bruce; 50
- #90 Terry Carroll; 50
- #88 Thomas Marks; 49
- #42 Chris Horton; 49
- #25 Craig Eastep; 49
- #9 Rodney Boyd; 49
- #72 Dean Shiflett; 49
- #28 Jared Clarke; 49
- #91 Justin Carroll; 41
- #8 Garrett Byrd (R); 15
Twin 50 No. 2
- #77 Connor Hall; 50
- #03 Brenden Queen; 50
- #21 Greg Edwards; 50
- #41 Woody Howard; 50
- #88 Thomas Marks; 50
- #26 Danny Edwards; 50
- #51 Ryan Matthews ; 50
- #12 Nick Smith; 50
- #31 Cole Bruce; 50
- #90 Terry Carroll; 50
- #55 Mark Wertz; 50
- #9 Rodney Boyd; 50
- #28 Jared Clarke; 49
- #25 Craig Eastep; 25
- #72 Dean Shiflett; 17
- #42 Chris Horton; 11
- #91 Justin Carroll; 1
- #8 Garrett Byrd (R)
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