There’s something special about a short track with history baked into its worn-out asphalt. Nestled in Georgia, Crisp Motorsports Park (better known as Cordele Speedway) has long been a favorite for grassroots racers chasing glory on Saturday nights. From local heroes to touring hotshots, it’s seen its fair share of battles. This year, the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-co-owned CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour rolled into town for the very first time, adding a fresh chapter to the track’s story.
Known for its tricky, low-grip surface and multi-groove potential, Cordele promised to test the best in the business. Dale Jr.’s rising star would later admit, it’s a place that’s got a little bit of everything, and maybe just a little attitude too.
Connor Hall can’t stop praising Cordele
Connor Hall wasted no time singing Cordele’s praises. “From the moment you roll into this place, it really is first class,” Hall said. The new CARS Tour stop offers modern amenities for teams and fans alike. With power, water, and sewer hookups for 100 campers, it’s a standout venue among grassroots short tracks. Such facilities can only be seen at venues hosting top-tier competitions like NASCAR or Formula 1.
Facilities aside, Hall admired the way the racetrack itself was presented. “Amazing facility in the racetrack and out,” he told Dale Jr. It’s rare for a venue to deliver on both the racing surface and the fan experience, but Cordele, in Hall’s eyes, pulled it off impressively. “I think the Cordele Speedway does a phenomenal job. Shoutout to that and their efforts to do so,” he further added.
Hall’s praise didn’t come without some perspective. “Not every short track is perfect,” he reminded fans, acknowledging the rough-around-the-edges charm many grassroots ovals have. But it made his appreciation for Cordele’s clean, well-run setup stand out even more among its peers. He further went on to compare Cordele with other regular, popular grassroots tracks. and this is a sentiment that Dale Jr. himself spoke about ahead of the race at Cordele.
𝑫𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑫𝒂𝒍𝒆 – @CARSTour co-owner @DaleJr is joined by Saturday’s race winner @ConnorHallWeb to break down Saturday’s inaugural event for the tour in Georgia at @CordeleSpeedway pic.twitter.com/uWNxpzH9Fk
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) April 14, 2025
Speaking to Matt Waever earlier this week, Dale Jr. said, “I do know that the things you want to do at Florence – to have a good race car – are the same things here [Cordele]. [However] The track doesn’t drive the same. There’s tons of banking on the straightaway here versus Florence.” Junior highlighted how while Florence has progressive banking, Cordele has a steep 14 degrees of banking, which is closer to something like Hickory. Hickory has an 18-degree banking, making it a challenging racetrack in its own right and leading to the parallels drawn by Hall to Cordele.
When breaking down the track’s character, Hall painted a colorful picture. “As far as coming to Cordele, race is like if Florence and Hickory kind of merged,” he explained. Florence offers a track that demands precision and patience from its drivers. On the other hand, Hickory brings multi-groove excitement, rewarding those bold enough to search for speed up high. Cordele is the perfect combination of both. It’s technical, tough, and packed with options for racers to make moves.
With a track this unique, it’s no surprise that Connor Hall made the most of his weekend at Cordele. After all the praise and anticipation, he backed it up where it matters most — on the track. What followed was a thrilling race and a memorable win to kick off the season.
Dale Jr.’s driver seals the deal at Cordele
Mini Tyrrell, who started on the pole, dominated early by leading most of the opening 80 laps. But as the track evolved and lines widened, Hall cracked the code. Tyrrell’s pace showed Hall where the grip was, and it paid off when it mattered. Hall finished 0.542 seconds ahead of Tyrrell. The win added another strong chapter to Hall’s debut season in JR Motorsports’ No. 88 machine.
However, Hall’s race night wasn’t as easy as the final results might show. “I guess watching Mini drive away from me for the last 50 laps made me decide to move up,” he admitted. That bold move higher on the track transformed his car’s handling. It gave Hall the extra speed he needed to run down Mini Tyrrell and take his seventh CARS Tour victory. Landon Huffman, Landen Lewis, and Conner Jones completed the top 5. Hall will now join Tristan McKee in the history books as one of the winners from the CARS Tour’s inaugural weekend at Cordele Motor Speedway. McKee won the inaugural Pro Late Model event at Cordele earlier.
Contrary to Connor Hall, the night wasn’t as kind to Hall’s team owner, Dale Jr. He started strong inside the top 10, aiming for a strong finish. Unfortunately, a late-race incident during the final restart caused front-end damage. This event sidelined his No. 8 entry after 117 laps. Dale Jr. ultimately settled for a frustrating 21st-place finish in the inaugural Cordele event.
Despite the mixed results for Hall and Dale Jr., Hall’s performance gave JR Motorsports a bright spot to rally around. “Super, super awesome to win the inaugural event,” Hall said of his victory. The zMAX CARS Tour now shifts to Orange County Speedway on April 26, with Hall riding serious momentum into the next round.
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