For Hall, N.C. was no problem

Former Old Dominion Speedway frontrunner, Kyle Hall had an impressive season in Late Models at Southern National Speedway in North Carolina in 2008.
The 17-year-old Bushwood, Md., driver finished second in points, with six wins and 16 top fives, including four seconds. He also had an outside shot at the track championship going into the season’s finale but the race was rained out.
“I really enjoyed myself,” Hall said. “I got the experience of learning a new racing surface and meeting a lot of new people. Overall, it was just great for our career. Anywhere you can go that you’ve never been to before and run second the first season — you’ve done a pretty good job, especially since we didn’t expect to run in the top five.”
Hall started the season strong at Southern National, collecting three wins and a second in the first seven races. His first win was memorable not only because it was Hall’s first at the speedway but because he passed former ODS driver Doug Godsey on the final turn of the last lap for the checkers.
“That was great,” Hall said. “I thought my first win at Old Dominion was going to be my best win. This one didn’t top Old Dominion but it came close. To pass for the win in the last turn was spectacular.”
Hall gained more confidence after his first win. And it was not long before he was looking for something more than second or third place finishes.
“Seconds were still great but as soon as I got that first win, my whole mind set was just transformed and I was looking for wins,” he said.
His best night was on July 12th when he snagged a win and a second in twin races, beating 2008 track champion Cory Strickland for the victory.
“He’s a really good driver, so that was awesome, winning that one,” Hall said.
Hall also beat Matt McCall in an August second race. “To beat Matt McCall, you’re beating one of the best,” Hall said. “That was pretty significant. I held him off for five laps at the end. We got the top groove fairly figured out down there.”
Hall said his crew, Herman Gant, made a big difference this season. Hall wasn’t sure what to expect when he first drove at Southern National because he’d never driven there before. But Gant’s setups helped from the get-go.
“He and I just work well together,” Hall said. “We have good chemistry and I don’t think I could ask for a better crew chief.”
Hall was also appreciative of his dad and crew members Charles and Robbie.
At first, Hall was surprised he ran so well at Southern National. But after the first win, he realized that his team had a car that could win often.
“We kept getting better, even though we had an off day here and there,” he said. “But for the most part we stayed consistently fast and that just came from all of the hard work our crew put in.”
Hall also missed the people at ODS. He noted that racing on ODS’s surface made running at Southern National seem easy.
“Anyone starting out in racing, Old Dominion is the place to go,” Hall said. “It teaches you so many vital car skills.”