Driver of Porter Pipe & Supply Toyota GR Supra a Top-Five Mainstay in Inaugural The Loop 121 Before Carburetor Issues Derail Strong Run
Date: Sunday, July 2
Event: Inaugural The Loop 121
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Chicago Street Course (temporary 2.2-mile, 12-turn street circuit)
Format: 55 laps, broken into three stages (15 laps/15 laps/25 laps)
Start/Finish: 4th / 35th (Running, completed 25 of 25 laps)
Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Note: Race was shortened 30 laps shy of its scheduled 55-lap distance due to weather.
Overview:
Connor Mosack showed speed throughout the inaugural The Loop 121 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the 2.2-mile, 12-turn Chicago Street Course, qualifying a career-best fourth and running among the top-five for the majority of the race. An issue with the carburetor on his No. 19 Porter Pipe & Supply Toyota GR Supra, however, derailed Mosack’s strong run. The problem first developed on lap 21 when Mosack felt a loss of power, specifically in third and fourth gear. When the caution came out for a nearby lightning strike on lap 25, Mosack ducked into the pits for his crew to lift the hood and diagnose the problem. He returned to the track in 35th and shortly thereafter, the race was postponed for rain. But with a plan to replace the carburetor on the Porter Pipe & Supply Toyota and seemingly plenty of laps still remaining, Mosack eyed opportunity to work his way back toward the front when racing resumed. It never happened. Persistent rain forced NASCAR to call the race official after 25 laps, denying Mosack a chance to return to the top-five and saddling him with a 35th-place finish.
Connor Mosack driver of the No. 19 Porter Pipe & Supply Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing:
“I feel like we were a solid, top-five car. Even kind of riding around a little bit, I feel like we had some pace in the bank all weekend that we were saving for when we needed it. So we took it pretty easy in practice, and then used a little bit of it for qualifying – left a little bit out there, for sure, but we were pretty happy with where we started. The goal was to always stay in the top-five, at least for the first half or three-quarters of the race and just keep the thing in one piece and be there at the end. That was our goal, but we didn’t get that opportunity. We had a carburetor issue about lap 21 or 22 and started falling back quickly. Thankfully, we got a caution. We came down pit road to take a look at it and, obviously, we went to the back of the field before they called it yesterday for lightning. The plan for today was to get the carburetor changed and then we’d have 30 laps to make our way back to the front. But with them calling the race, we didn’t get that opportunity and it was really disappointing. I especially hate it for our partner, Porter Pipe & Supply. They brought a lot of people here and they were really excited to see the race and see the car. We know we’ve got the pace. There are things from the first half of the race that we certainly can learn from and apply to Road America. So it wasn’t a complete waste of a weekend, by any means, but we would’ve liked to have had a better result.”
Notes:
● This was Mosack’s 11th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and his ninth of the season. It was his first start of 2023 with Joe Gibbs Racing.
● Mosack’s fourth-place qualifying effort was the best of his Xfinity Series career. He toured the 2.2-mile, 12-turn street course in 91.018 seconds at 87.016 mph.
● Mosack was the 10th-fastest driver in the lone practice session prior to The Loop 121. Mosack’s best lap in the session was 93.113 seconds at 85.058 mph.
● The Loop 121 marked the NASCAR debut for Porter Pipe & Supply. Based in Addison, Illinois, Porter Pipe & Supply is a third-generation, family-owned and operated wholesale supplier of commercial and industrial pipe, valves, fittings, plumbing supplies, HVAC and refrigeration equipment and mechanical products.
Next Up:
Mosack returns to the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli July 7-9, competing in the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series event at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. A pair of TA2 test sessions on Friday kicks off the weekend around the 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit. TA2 practice takes place Saturday morning with qualifying set for later that afternoon. The 25-lap, 75-minute TA2 race is set for 12:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday with live streaming provided by the Trans Am Series and SpeedTourTV channels on YouTube, with a delayed re-broadcast on MAVTV set for 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 13. Mosack’s next Xfinity Series race comes with Sam Hunt Racing on Saturday, July 15 via the Ambetter Health 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. That race will be broadcast live at 3 p.m. EDT on USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
