Connor Mosack wins ARCA race at Chicagoland in 1-2 finish for Pinnacle Racing Group
Connor Mosack wins the Ashley Furniture 150 at Chicagoland Speedway. Mosack scores his third career ARCA Menards Series victory in his second start of the season.
Mosack led 71 out of 100 laps and never looked back again after taking the lead on lap 29. An impressive second place finish from Lanie Buice gave Pinnacle Racing Group another 1-2 finish.
Thomas Annunziata started on the pole for a third consecutive race in the ARCA Menards Series.
In a pre-race interview, Annunziata said, “I’m really starting to pick it up, still some things I need to work on, but I’m figuring out how to go fast so that’s the main thing. I’m confident for the race and see what we got.”
Only three drivers who competed in the last ARCA race at Chicagoland in 2019, returned for tonight’s race. These being Morgen Baird, Brad Smith, and Tim Richmond. 27 cars started the race.
Race Summary
After the green flag dropped, Annunziata took control early while Daniel Dye fell back from second after contact with point-leader Jake Bollman. After he started eighth, William Sawalich climbed through the field making it to the top five quickly.
The first caution came out on lap 19 for the No. 89 of Bobby Earnhardt. He spun in turns three and four and got briefly stuck in the grass. Morgen Baird in the No. 91 received the free pass while he ran 15th.
The race resumed on lap 24 but the caution flew again quickly. Sawalich got in the wall with a flat tire after contact with Andy Jankowiak. Sawalich’s race was over as a result. Michael Maples in the No. 99 got the free pass under the caution.
On the lap 29 restart, Buice challenged Annunziata hard for the lead. Mosack then made an aggressive move to the bottom and took the lead. Buice slided into second and Annunziata fell to third.
On lap 39, Annunziata also had a close call with Earnhardt as he got held up trying to lap him. Mosack stretched his lead to three seconds before the caution for the halfway break was thrown. Maples earned the free pass again under caution.
The final restart occured on lap 58 as Mosack got ahead of Buice. Mosack got to a two second lead over Buice.
Within the top five, Landon S. Huffman showed strong long run speed passing Annunziata for fourth with 30 to go. Then he closed in on Dye for third and passed him with 20 to go.
As the laps winded down, Huffman began to close in on Buice for second, and Annunziata closed in on Dye for fourth.
Buice however began to close in on Mosack as he was stuck in traffic. Buice didn’t have enough time to catch him. Mosack won the race as another thunderstorm system approached the track.
Post Race Interviews
After the race, Buice thanked her whole pit crew, spotter Brandon Wilkinson, and Wise Optimization (owned by former Cup driver Josh Wise).
In response to what she could’ve done to catch Mosack, she said that having her mock tires hurt her a bit with them having only three laps hurt. Not getting clean air on the last restart also hurt her she said.
“I’ve finished every single ARCA race I’ve ever been in, so that kind of monentum is something that’s really strong and it’s really good to build stuff like that” she said.
Buice will return to Pinnacle at the season finale at Kansas and the ARCA West race at Phoenix. At a press conference before the race, Buice also expressed that she wants to race full-time in ARCA in 2027.
Huffman who finished third said, “we got the car better at the half so I had a lot better of a second half.” He also felt he could’ve had a chance to finish second if “his cards fell better” at the beginning of the second half. Huffman will return in the No. 9 for CR7 Motorsports at Salem in September.
Dye who finished fourth said, “I felt we needed to have more raw speed, I felt our aero platform was decent. Just need a little more time to build these guys.” Dye will compete in more Cup, O’Reilly and Truck races throughout the rest of the year.
The ARCA Menards Series will return at Lime Rock Park in Northwest Connecticut on Friday, July 10 for 100 miles and 68 laps around the 1.53 mile road course.
Race Results
- 28 Connor Mosack
- 77 Lanie Buice
- 9 Landon S. Huffman
- 24 Daniel Dye
- 70 Thomas Annunziata
- 15 Jade Avedisian
- 71 Andy Jankowiak
- 20 Jake Bollman
- 97 Jason Kitzmiller
- 2 Kyle Steckly -1 Lap
- 27 Tim Richmond -1 Lap
- 25 Gavan Boschele -1 Lap
- 55 Isabella Robusto -1 Lap
- 91 Morgen Baird -2 Laps
- 69 Landon Brown -3 Laps
- 12 Takuma Koga -7 Laps
- 10 Dustin Hillenburg -8 Laps
- 86 Jeff Maconi -10 Laps
- 89 Bobby Earnhardt -11 Laps
- 06 Brayton Laster -15 Laps
- 99 Michael Maples -17 Laps
- 03 Alex Clubb OUT
- 11 Tim Monroe OUT
- 18 William Sawalich OUT
- 48 Brad Smith OUT
- 19 Matt Kemp OUT
- 83 Nate Moeller OUT
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