Connor Mosack Earns First Truck Series Pole; Looks to Rebound at Atlanta Motor Speedway
HAMPTON, Ga: Connor Mosack bounced back in a big way Friday afternoon at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, securing his first career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series pole ahead of Saturday’s FR8 208.
Mosack considered a preseason Playoff contender, endured a frustrating start to the year after transmission issues on the grid derailed his Daytona effort last Friday night, leaving him with a disappointing 32nd-place finish.
However, in his Truck Series debut at Atlanta, Mosack piloted the No. 81 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Chevrolet Silverado to a blistering lap of 31.969 seconds at 173.418 miles per hour, narrowly edging out Chevrolet teammate Grant Enfinger for the top starting spot.
Knowing how vital track position is, Mosack hopes to stay out front during Saturday afternoon’s Truck Series race and put himself in position for his first career Truck Series win.
“Obviously, we still got our work to do tomorrow but feel really good about the Friends of Jacqueline Silverado that we brought,” Mosack said.
“MHR (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing) brought four really fast trucks. It’s (a) really, really good boost for our team, especially coming off a week like last week. We just need to put together a solid race tomorrow, and then I’ll kind of get our momentum going forward.
“So glad we got a solid team behind us, and hopefully we can work together tomorrow and keep them up front.”
With track position on his side, Mosack hopes starting up front will allow him to maintain that advantage and earn crucial stage points—helping him climb out of the bottom of the standings after his Daytona misfortune.
“I think it’s as important as it is any week,” added Mosack. “You know, kind of just kind of focus on one race at a time and kind of forget about last week as much as we can. So yeah, we definitely want stage points, but I think we would, you know, even if last week went really well.
“So, stage points are really important all year. You know, hopefully, you know, even if you get a win or two, that you still need those stage wins, hopefully, to get those playoff points to help you get through each round (Playoffs).”
Since 2012, Mosack has made just 12 Truck Series starts, but with a full season ahead as a teammate to Daniel Hemric and Jack Wood, his goals aren’t out of reach. More importantly, he’s determined to prove he belongs in the series.
“I think we’re definitely capable of making a strong playoff run, at least the round of eight. And you know, once you’re there, I think if you have a good round, anything can happen. But I think we’re capable of having a couple (of) wins as well.
“So, that’s what that’s what our goals are. And we are going to go to each race expecting to compete for wins.”
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