HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — With 21 starts in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, Connor Mosack is ready to grab another rung on the racing ladder by stepping up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The 23-year-old racer who is currently in his second year competing for TeamSLR in the TA2 division will make his Xfinity Series debut June 4 in the inaugural Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland (Ore.) Int’l Raceway.
Mosack will drive the No. 18 OpenEyes.net Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 75-lap race around the 1.964-mile, 12-turn road course.
“Our Xfinity Series program was designed to provide opportunities to racecar drivers like Connor who are looking to expand their careers by challenging themselves in a very competitive racing series,” said Steve deSouza, executive vice president, NASCAR Xfinity Series/Development, Joe Gibbs Racing. “Connor has accomplished quite a bit in a relatively short period of time in Trans Am and we’re proud to help further his development in NASCAR.”
Portland is an appropriate venue for Mosack to make his first Xfinity Series start. While the Charlotte, North Carolina-native doesn’t have any prior experience at the flat, clockwise circuit in the Pacific Northwest, Mosack has plenty of experience learning new race tracks quickly.
As a TA2 rookie in 2021, all but two of the series’ 10 tracks were new to him. Nonetheless, Mosack was a fast study. He scored four podium finishes in his final eight races, including a breakthrough win Sept. 12 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l.
“Every race is a new opportunity to learn and apply the lessons from your last race,” said Mosack, who finished third in the 2021 TA2 championship standings and is already a two-time pole winner in 2022. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot in Trans Am thanks to the coaching I’ve gotten from Scott Lagasse Sr. and Jr., at TeamSLR, and I genuinely want to see how it all translates to the Xfinity Series. I’m looking forward to the experience of working with Joe Gibbs Racing and their veteran crew chief Jason Ratcliff in my debut at Portland, and we’re all grateful to represent OpenEyes.net.”