Overview:
In just his fourth ARCA Menards Series start of 2023, Connor Mosack equaled his best result of the season, finishing second to race winner Jesse Love. Mosack started the 60-lap race around the 2.5-mile triangle in fifth place and exercised patience from the drop of the green flag. Driving the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, Mosack steadily picked up positions, noting early in the race that his car was handling on the loose side. A trip to pit road on lap 22 allowed the team to change four tires, add fuel and make a slight adjustment. Mosack noted that the car “felt way better” by the time the competition caution waved on lap 30. He quickly learned that the loose-handling issue developed the longer a run continued. The No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry was scored in third place during a restart on lap 45. Mosack quickly assumed the second position despite slight contact on the restart. A series of late restarts prevented the loose-handling condition that developed during long runs to rear its head. Mosack tried to track down Love as the race wound to a close, but to no avail as Love drove to his series-leading fifth win of the season.
Connor Mosack driver of the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:
“We had really good short-run speed today and I think all of our restarts were really good. I was able to pick up a spot or maintain on all of them. The restarts were really where we could make up ground because the car would just get way too loose as a run went on. The guys made a really good adjustment when we came to pit road and I felt like we were a lot better after – like we were the best car on restarts. And then we would fall off to a second- or third-place car. I’m proud of our guys. They worked hard. I just wish we would’ve been side by side with the 20 car (Love) there going into (turn) one on that last restart. Thanks to Mobil 1. We had a really good car today.”
Notes:
● Mosack’s second-place finish in the Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 equaled his previous best finish in the ARCA Menards Series, earned twice beforehand. Mosack finished second in the 2023 ARCA season-opener on Feb. 18 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and he finished second on June 4, 2022 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway in an ARCA Menards Series West race.
● Mosack’s second-place finish marked his 13th top-10 in 17 career ARCA starts.
● This was Mosack’s fifth straight top-10 in ARCA, a streak that dates back to last September at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
● This was Mosack’s second ARCA start at Pocono. He started seventh and finished sixth in last year’s race, leading twice for five laps.
● This was the fourth of six ARCA races where Mosack will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023. Joe Gibbs Racing won the ARCA owners’ title in 2021 with Ty Gibbs and again last year with Drew Dollar and Sammy Smith splitting driving duties. Mosack returns to the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry Aug. 4 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and Sept. 8 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
Next Up:
Mosack is back in a racecar late Saturday afternoon at Pocono, driving the No. 19 IRWIN® TRADE STRONG™ Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, which goes live at 5:30 p.m. EDT on USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. It marks the beginning of a six-race slate of Xfinity Series races for Mosack. Pocono and next Saturday’s Henry 180 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, will serve as Mosack’s second and third Xfinity Series starts of 2023 with Joe Gibbs Racing. He will return to Sam Hunt Racing for the remainder of his Xfinity Series schedule.
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