Driver of Mobil 1 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing Scores Career-First Stock-Car Win
Date: Friday, Sept. 8
Event: Sioux Chief Fast Track 150
Series: ARCA Menards Series
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval)
Length: 100 laps (150 miles)
Start/Finish: 4th / 1st (Running, completed 100 of 100 laps)
Race Winner: Connor Mosack of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Overview:
Prior to the Sioux Chief Fast Track 150 ARCA Menards Series race Friday afternoon at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Connor Mosack had been knocking on the door of his first career victory. In his sixth and final start of 2023, Mosack kicked that door down. The 24-year-old racer from Charlotte, North Carolina, thoroughly dominated the 100-lap race around the 1.5-mile oval by leading twice for a race-high 64 laps and lapping all but one driver – second-place Carson Kvapil – before crossing the stripe in first place with a stout, 3.202-second margin of victory.
It was Mosack’s first stock-car win of any kind and it came in his 19th career ARCA start. Mosack’s previous victories had come in sports cars, specifically the TA2 division of the Trans Am Series. In two seasons of TA2 (2021-2022), Mosack won twice, earned five poles and never finished outside of the top-four in the championship standings.
Scoring a victory in stock cars – the discipline where Mosack has put all of his focus – was gratifying, especially after seeing a win in his prior ARCA start get upended by a late-race caution. On Aug. 4 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mosack was leading and well in command before the race went into overtime. A frantic, green-white-checkered finish ultimately left him third.
With that heartbreak in his rearview mirror, Mosack entered Kansas looking to punctuate his six-race ARCA campaign with a victory for JGR.
That drive was evident from the start. Mosack wheeled his No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry on the high side of the track’s high banks to go from his fourth-place starting spot to the lead on just the third lap. Mosack held the top spot for five laps before Dean Thompson grabbed the lead. And while Thompson held the point for 34 laps, Mosack bided his time, ultimately retaking the lead on lap 42 and never looking back, pacing the final 59 laps to take the coveted victory.
Connor Mosack driver of the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:
“It means a lot to see all the hard work pay off. All the guys at Joe Gibbs Racing did a great job. We brought a really fast car today and I’m just proud to be driving this No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry.
“We were just trying to keep the right rear (tire) on it those last 20 laps. We kind of burned it off a little bit in the first half, so just trying to manage that gap (to second place). I felt like we could push a little harder if we needed to, but it’s pretty easy to get up in the fence here if you push too hard. So, we just started managing that gap, and I think he (Carson Kvapil) started falling off there and we could kind of ride to the finish in case we had a restart.
“This just feels really good. I kind of feel I have a weight lifted off my shoulders. It’s been a long time coming. Definitely made plenty of mistakes this year and learned a lot, and had some bad luck as well, but it feels good to finally get it done, for sure. Today we had a great car and didn’t have any mistakes and we made it happen.”
Notes:
● Since making his first ARCA Menards Series start at Kansas with an 11th-place drive on Oct. 23, 2021, Mosack has improved his finishing position each time he has returned to 1.5-mile oval. He finished fifth in May 2022, improved it with a fourth-place result this past May, and then bettered that run with his victory in the Sioux Chief Fast Track 150.
● Mosack led twice for a race-high for 64 laps – his first laps led at Kansas.
● This was Mosack’s first career victory in 19 ARCA starts. It was his 15th career top-10.
● This was Mosack’s ninth career top-five in ARCA and his third straight top-three. He finished second July 21 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and third in his prior start Aug. 4 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
● This was Mosack’s seventh straight top-10 in ARCA, a streak that dates back to last September at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
● Mosack qualified fourth for the Sioux Chief Fast Track 150 with a lap of 31.031 seconds at 174.02 mph. He has qualified fifth or better in his last eight ARCA starts, a streak that began more than a year ago at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International when he qualified third.
● Mosack set fast time in the lone practice session for the Sioux Chief Fast Track 150. His lap of 31.176 seconds at 173.21 mph was .004 of a second better than the next quickest driver, Jesse Love.
Next Up:
Mosack is back in a racecar Saturday at Kansas. He will drive the No. 24 MKS Pipe and Valve Toyota GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing in the Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, which goes live at 2 p.m. CDT/3 p.m. EDT on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
