Connor Mosack makes his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the year this weekend, and it couldn’t come at a more fitting place than Chicago.
“Despite the outcome, I thought the Chicago Street Race was an awesome event,” Mosack said. “I’m definitely excited to get back and finish what I started there. The track was a lot of fun to drive, with a lot of high-risk, high-reward corners. I think it’ll be just as big, if not bigger, of an event than last year.”
Mosack qualified fourth but finished 35th in last year’s event driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. A carburetor issue derailed his efforts, and the race didn’t run the full distance because of inclement weather.
Saturday, Mosack will be in the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. It will be his 27th career start.
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“JR Motorsports does a really good job,” Mosack said. “They’re particular with the details and this is a detail-oriented sport. My crew chief, Andrew Overstreet, is really sharp. I’ve been able to work with him in the simulator and at the shop, getting fitted in the car and ensuring we’re where we need to be before we even unload at Chicago.
“So, I’m definitely looking forward to it. It’s a great opportunity to have a great run.”
Although he hasn’t been in the car yet this season, Mosack hasn’t been inactive. In recent weeks, he competed in the Trans Am Series at Mid-Ohio and Road America. He also ran the ARCA Menards Series race at Mid-Ohio.
By competing in different series, Mosack has adapted to different variables whenever behind the wheel. He hopes that continues as he rejoins the Xfinity Series field Saturday afternoon.
“All of that recent road course experience is certainly helpful,” Mosack said. “Just reps at a road course, in general, help you in any kind of car you hop into. You kind of get used to what the weight (of the car) feels like on a road course. While the Trans Am car and the Xfinity car do have quite a few differences, they’re also still fairly similar, or at least a lot more similar than a sports car or an open-wheel car would be.
“It is fairly adaptable between the two; you just need to be mindful of the extra weight you’re carrying. The car rolls over a little bit more, and the brakes aren’t as strong as they are on the Trans Am car, but a lot of the same principles apply throughout the race. The braking is probably the biggest difference between an Xfinity car and an ARCA car, so I feel like it was good to kind of manage my brakes throughout the ARCA race at Mid-Ohio and see how they faded.
“I feel like that’s going to be the biggest thing to manage going into Chicago. In our eyes, we won that race at Mid-Ohio, and having that confidence helps going into Chicago.”