Pit Stop Radio News

• In three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Kansas Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-15 finish. Rajah Caruth, driver of the No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado, earned a team-best 13th-place finish in Spire’s first Truck Series appearance at Kansas Speedway in May. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets full time in the NCTS. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Caruth drives the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolet Silverados in the No. 77.
• The Kubota Tractor 200 from Kansas Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Friday, Sept. 27, beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 19th of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
• Rajah Caruth and Chase Purdy will have the names of cancer heroes riding along on Friday night. As part of the NASCAR Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero campaign, Ken Essex and Jeanann Orna will be on the name rail of Caruth and Purdy’s trucks, respectively. Essex and Orna both lived fruitful lives and made positive impacts on their loved ones and communities while battling cancer.

Connor Mosack – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

• Connor Mosack will make his fourth appearance aboard Spire Motorsports’ all-star entry, piloting the No. 7 MKS Pipe Chevrolet Silverado in Friday evening’s Kubota Tractor 200 at Kansas Speedway.
• Mosack is the two-time defending winner of the 150-mile ARCA Menards Series (AMS) event at Kansas. After competing in select AMS events the past two seasons, he earned his first-career victory at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval last September. He returned to the track in May behind the wheel of a Pinnacle Racing Group entry and backed up his fall triumph.
• The No. 7 team qualified for the 2024 NCTS owner’s playoffs and sit ninth on the grid heading to the final race in the Round of 10. The crew is four points below the cutline to advance to the Round of 8.
• The accomplished road racer made his first of three starts for Spire Motorsports in May’s Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway. After qualifying fifth, a flat tire derailed his night, where ultimately finished 30th.
• Mosack was last in a Spire Motorsports entry at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (July 12)where he qualified 18th and finished 15th. Prior to Pocono, he earned his first-career Truck Series top 10 with an eighth-place effort at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 24).
• The 25-year-old has made 27 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with his best finishes coming at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (fifth), the Chicago Street Course (sixth) and Portland (Ore.) International Raceway (eighth). He participated in the 2023 Xfinity Series event at Kansas, crossing the finish line 14th.
• The “Road-Course Ringer” competes part-time in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, piloting the No. 57 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet Camaro for Silver Hare Racing in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Class. The two-time class winner has six poles and 17 top-five finishes in 38 starts, while ranking third and fourth in the season-long point standings in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Mosack races alongside teammates Jake Drew, Boris Said, Jr. and Connor Zilisch.
• MKS Pipe and Valve is a premier provider of high-quality piping and valve solutions, serving industries including oil and gas, water treatment, and chemical processing. Committed to excellence, the Kansas-based company ensures all products meet rigorous quality standards and are tailored to meet the specific needs of clients. With a focus on innovation and customer service, MKS PVF is dedicated to delivering reliable, durable solutions for every application.
• Through 18 races, the No. 7 has compiled two wins with an average starting position of 10.3 and an average finish of 13.2. Kyle Busch led 33 laps en route the team’s first victory of 2024 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February and a led a dominant 112 laps in the team’s most recent triumph at Texas Motor Speedway (April 12) in Fort Worth. In its most recent outing, Connor Zilisch earned his second CRAFTSMAN Truck Series pole award and rebounded from a mid-race incident to finish 19th at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
• In his first season at Spire Motorsports, crew chief Brian Pattie led the No. 7 team to two victories across the first seven events this season, both with Kyle Busch (Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway). The duo also won twice across five races last year with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Brian Pattie has called four NCTS races at Kansas Speedway, highlighted by a seventh-place finish with Kyle Busch last May. In 26 Cup Series races at the Kansas City oval, he’s collected a pair of top fives; 2009 with Juan Pablo Montoya (fourth) and 2013 with Clint Bowyer (fifth).
• Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-083 will be driven by Mosack on Friday evening. In the truck’s maiden voyage and only appearance to date, Clint Bowyer made his return to NASCAR competition at Nashville Superspeedway (June 28). He finished 17th after receiving heavy front end damage mid-way through the event.

Connor Mosack Quotes
You had a great run going in May before a flat tire ended your chances at a good finish. What can you take from the Spring race and apply to this time around?
“Kansas is one of my favorite tracks. I feel like we ran well in the spring until we got damage and that hurt our speed. If we can keep our nose clean and build on what we had in May, we have a shot at it.”
You have run a lot of races for a lot of different teams this season. How difficult is the transition between series and teams?
“It is tough. The relationship with your crew chief and your team is a big part of success. The trucks drive differently when you go team to team. This will be my fourth race with (Brian) Pattie and Spire, so we have a great start on our relationship. It’s great to have MKS back with me, they supported me last fall, so I am excited to have them back.”

Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

• Rajah Caruth will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado in Friday evening’s Kubota Tractor 200 at Kansas Speedway.
• Caruth and the No. 71 team qualified for the NCTS playoffs via their win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while ending the regular season fifth in the series’ championship point standings. Caruth and Co. are seeded fifth on the playoff grid, 35 points above the Round of 8 cutline. Friday’s event at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval marks the last of three races in the Round of 10.
• In the second race of the Round of 10 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, the Washington D.C. native rolled off third, earned his first-career stage victory and led nine laps en route to a third-place finish.
• In the Truck Series’ May trip to Kansas, Caruth qualified fourth and finished 13th.
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• Caruth, will make his fourth appearance at the track behind the wheel of a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series entry Friday evening. His three previous starts are highlighted by a 12th-place finish last fall where he converted a race-high 85 green-flag passes.
• The 22-year-old has three ARCA Menards Series starts in America’s heartland. He was the runner up to teammate Nick Sanchez in the spring of 2022 and was running in the third position late in the 2022 fall event before a tire failure ended his day eight laps early.
• Two of Caruth’s 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts came at Kansas, both with Alpha Prime Racing.
• In the six mile-and-a-half races this season, Caruth has earned one win, two top fives, three top 10s and five top 15s.
• The 2024 season has marked a career year for Caruth. He’s collected one win, a pair of Cometic Gasket Pole Awards and four top-five finishes, all of which are the first of his young career. His nine top-10 finishes exceed his total of four in 2023. His average start of 10.2 is over four positions better than last season and his 11.3 average finish is a whopping seven positions better.
• With his first career NCTS win and pole position earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Caruth became the third African American driver, alongside NASCAR Hall of Famer, Wendell Scott and current NASCAR Cup Series regular Bubba Wallace, to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race.
• Caruth raced his first full season in NCTS in 2023, earning four top-10 finishes and closing the year 16th in the division’s championship point standings.
• Crew chief Chad Walter has called a pair of top fives in eight races in Xfinity Series competition at Kansas Speedway. He helped Kyle Busch and Casey Mears to third-place finishes in the 2006 and 2007 events, respectively. His seven truck races atop the box are highlighted by an eighth-place effort with Raphael Lessard in the 2021 event during his stint with GMS Racing.
• The No. 71 Silverado racing at Bristol is identified as Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-082. The truck has been raced twice, both of which started with top-five qualifying efforts. Caruth piloted the chassis to a 13th-place run at the Kansas City oval in May and a 10th-place result at Pocono Raceway.
• Rajah Caruth will sign autographs at the NASCAR Classics merchandise hauler Friday at noon. 
• Ken Essex will be riding alongside Rajah Friday night. Essex fought a long and courageous battle with multiple myeloma and passed away on October 13, 2022 at the age of 79. Essex earned a degree in history from Davidson College. Upon graduation, he attended the U.S. Army’s Intelligence and Airborne Schools before seeing active duty in the Vietnam War as an intelligence officer and Lieutenant. He bravely served from 1965-1967 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. After returning from Vietnam, Mr. Essex attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1976, Mr. Essex founded the law firm Essex Richards P.A. Throughout his 45-year legal career, Mr. Essex received numerous honors and awards, including recognition as one of the North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” and being rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell. Above all else, Mr. Essex cherished his roles as a devoted husband, father, “granddaddy,” and friend. 

Rajah Caruth Quotes
You’ve been quick at Kansas in the past, but the finishes never seem to fall your way. What do you look to do differently this time around in a playoff setting?
“It seems like I’ve had speed since the first time I entered the tunnel at Kansas, I just haven’t had the finishes to show for it. I’ve driven too aggressively, got spun out, and put myself in the wall trying to get too much. That track was my first mile-and-a-half I visited in ARCA, and I’ve run multiple CRAFTSMAN Truck and Xfinity races there. The track is so much fun. You can run from the bottom along the white line, all the way up to the fence. It has really kindled itself to my driving style. I’ve done some dirt racing the past few years and trained within the GM Development Program, and I think those experiences pay off at Kansas. A win there would be special because of how fast I’ve been there, and things are yet to fall our way.”
Kansas is one of two tracks you’ll visit twice this season. How does that help your team?
“Going to a track for a second time helps any organization, it doesn’t matter if you are leading the points or sit outside the top 20. You have a notebook of things you tried in the previous race to go off of. Then you can see how you have grown and improved over the course of the season. I lick my chops a bit when we go to Kansas. I know that I can put it on the fence, and if I’m loose, I can go even higher. I think going to Kansas will be good for us.”

Chase Purdy – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

• Chase Purdy will drive Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silveradoin Friday’s Kubota Tractor 200.
• In the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ May visit to America’s heartland, Purdy earned his third-career Cometic Gasket Pole Award and second in as many races at Kansas Speedway. He went on to lead eight laps but finished 28th after a loose wheel forced him to return to pit road during a green-flag pit stops.
• The 24-year-old owns eight starts at Kansas behind the wheel of a truck, his most of any track on the circuit. The starts are headlined by a 10th-place finish in 2020.
• The Kubota Tractor 200 will mark Purdy’s 94th NCTS start and 19th behind the wheel of the No. 77 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports.
• In his lone ARCA Menards Series start at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval, Purdy earned a top-five finish in 2018.
• While racing for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2023, Purdy recorded the best statistical season of his career. He earned three top-five, 11 top-10 and 14 top-15 finishes while notching a career-best finish of second at Texas Motor Speedway (April 1) and claiming his first career Truck Series pole at Kansas Speedway (Sept. 8). He would snag his second career pole two races later at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Sept. 30), a race in which he led a career-high 11 laps.
• Crew chief Jason Trinchere has called four NASCAR Xfinity Series races at the Kansas City oval, headlined by a pair of top fives with Justin Haley and A.J. Allmendinger in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
• The Meridian, Miss. native will be behind the wheel of Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-079 Thursday evening. The truck has made seven appearances, finishing sixth last time out at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway with Purdy in the cockpit.
• Jeanann Orna will be riding with Chase at Kansas Speedway on Friday night. Jeanann was a nurse who helped countless patients through her profession during her lifetime. While helping those in need, she was battling cancer, herself. She defeated breast cancer in 2006, but was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in June of 2020 and would lose her battle in November of 2022. Even through life’s toughest moments, she remained there for her family. She helped her kids (Kali and Sean) through high school, college and other major life experiences, all while battling the most vicious form of cancer. Jeanann was a true Cancer Hero and an inspiration for all.

Chase Purdy Quotes 
You have sat on the pole the last two visits to Kansas. How do you carry the momentum into the weekend?
“Kansas is one of our best tracks. We’ve had a lot of speed, we just need to put together a complete day. Our Bama Buggies team will take the momentum from last week’s good finish at Bristol and carry it forward to this weekend.”

Spire Motorsports PR