Connor Mosack grabs late lead and holds on for ARCA victory at Kansas Speedway
For most of the afternoon, Connor Mosack — and the other 22 drivers in the field for Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series Tide 150 at Kansas Speedway — all seemed to be running a completely different race than pole-winner Tanner Gray.
Gray led the first 86 laps, had lapped all but nine cars in the field by the midway point, and built an over 10-second lead at one point. But Mosack didn’t lose heart — and a late-race restart gave him the opportunity he needed.
Mosack took control over the final 10 laps and won the second ARCA Menards Series race of his career, which was also his second consecutive victory at Kansas Speedway.
“I knew we were a good adjustment from having a chance to run with him. I knew even when we weren’t great, there was times we could still match lap times,” Mosack said. “Or at least that’s what they were telling me. Sometimes they say that to make you feel better. I knew if we could get a good adjustment and a short run, we might could beat on a restart or something like that.”
That’s exactly what Mosack got. The win meant a little more than just his second victory in Kansas. Last year’s victory came in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota that Gray drove on Saturday.
Mosack’s No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet was the runner-up last fall. This time, it was front and center in victory lane.
“It’s really special. It’s probably the most meaningful win I’ve ever had. Just seeing the team start from the ground up, seeing the guys in the shop every day, seeing how hard they work and the success that’s starting to pay off here,” Mosack said. “It feels good to be able to do it back-to-back with two different teams. And with the other team finishing second … it felt pretty good.”
As for Gray, he simply couldn’t find the speed he had after falling behind. It would’ve been the first ARCA Menards Series victory of his career — the runner-up finish was a career high.
Dean Thompson, Kris Wright, and Jake Finch rounded out the top five. Series points leader Andres Perez finished seventh.
“That restart was our best shot,” Mosack said. “I feel like the restarts up to that point in the race, we were launching really good. … It always means more when you’re behind and you’re able to get a win there at the end.”
Like many drivers, Mosack is trying to fill out the remainder of his 2024 racing schedule. He made his fourth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start on Saturday night. He’s also slated for at least a couple more starts in the 28 car as well.
Mosack also made a career-high 24 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last year.
“Last year with my Xfinity races, a lot of them weren’t in winning equipment. I feel like I definitely made a lot of mistakes trying to learn, and I probably learned faster than I should,” Mosack said. “That’s helped me coming back down to ARCA and trucks, and I feel like all the starts I have this year are in good equipment. It’s a good opportunity to show what we can do.”
DeSoto’ Mandy Chick finishes 15th
DeSoto, Kansas-native Mandy Chick made her eighth career ARCA Menards Series start (and second of the season) on Saturday. She finished 15th. She was ninth at last fall’s race.
