NOTEBOOK: Stephanie Moyer pursuing career-best finish in homecoming at Pocono Raceway

Just a few weeks before Friday’s Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 at Pocono Raceway, Stephanie Moyer was unsure if she would be able to compete in her homecoming race.

Through the help of partners such as Kansas Wesleyan University, Fairway Subaru and Harry’s U Pull It, Moyer is set to make her second ARCA Menards Series start of the year as she looks to improve upon her career-best finish of 15^th, which she obtained at Pocono back in 2021.

“I’m super pumped for this, but more calm than usual,” Moyer said. “I’m usually always panicking, but Pocono is one of my better tracks. During the last two years, I’ve gotten my top 20s, but this year I want a better finish with the equipment I have. I’m super confident we’re going to kick some butt.”

ARCA at Pocono: Entry list | Schedule | Tickets

Located only 40 minutes away from her hometown of Sheppton, Pennsylvania, Pocono has always been one of Moyer’s favorite tracks.

Moyer and her family would make regular trips to Pocono back when the track had two NASCAR race weekends on the schedule. She recalls being in awe of Pocono’s mammoth size and how drivers would make daring moves down the frontstretch that sometimes saw them go six-wide.

When she finally turned laps at Pocono herself, Moyer gained a different perspective on how to race there. The amount of speed drivers can obtain down the long straightaways is a quality Moyer enjoys about the massive facility given she had been used to close-quarter racing around short tracks.

Despite the speed, Moyer said Pocono can be unforgiving to those who make a mistake around the 2.5-mile track. Putting together strong runs at the facility requires drivers to be precise, which is what Moyer plans to do on Friday as she looks to continue making a name for herself.

Moyer had hoped to race full time in the ARCA Menards Series this year, but those plans did not materialize. She is not taking any of her planned appearances with Fast Track Racing for granted and hopes to make a strong impression at Pocono this weekend.

“I know I belong in the sport and better finishes look good on my resume,” Moyer said. “I feel like I have something to prove, and since Pocono is one of my better tracks, I feel this is my one chance to show I’m capable of getting strong finishes [with Fast Track Racing].”

Moyer’s pursuit to improve upon her best ARCA Menards Series finish gets going when the green flag flies for the Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 at 6 p.m. ET on Friday evening.

Connor Mosack pulling double duty with Joe Gibbs Racing

A busy weekend is ahead for Connor Mosack at Pocono Raceway.

Not only will Mosack return to pilot the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing in Friday’s Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150, but he is also set to make his second appearance with the organization’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program, driving the No. 19 IRWIN Trade Strong Toyota.

Friday will serve as Mosack’s fourth start with Gibbs in the ARCA Menards Series this year. He has not finished outside the top 10 in his three prior appearances, with his best performance being a runner-up finish to Greg Van Alst at Daytona International Speedway to open the season.

Despite the consistency, Mosack is still searching for that breakthrough victory on the ARCA platform. He will look to put together a complete race at Pocono, where he finished sixth last year driving for Bret Holmes Racing.

Should Mosack finally claim that elusive win on Friday evening, he will join Ty Gibbs and Riley Herbst as drivers who have visited Victory Lane in a Gibbs-powered car at Pocono.

Andy Jankowiak chasing second straight top five

Momentum is on Andy Jankowiak’s side as he prepares for Friday’s Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150.

After enduring three rough races to start the 2023 season, Jankowiak showcased the speed in his No. 73 KLAS Motorsports Toyota at Charlotte Motor Speedway by tallying his first top five in ARCA Menards Series competition.

A Modified veteran from Tonawanda, New York, Jankowiak formally entered the ARCA Menards Series in 2021 with his own small operation. For 2023, Jankowiak elected to specifically focus on driving duties, with ownership of the team being taken over by Kevin Lapierre and fellow Modified driver Andy Seuss.

Jankowiak was up front in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway before getting collected in crash with less than 20 laps remaining. He finished four laps down in his second race of 2023 at Talladega Superspeedway before a mechanical issue prevented him from racing at Kansas Speedway.

Now with a top five under his belt, Jankowiak is looking to replicate his performance from Charlotte at Pocono Raceway this weekend. This will be his first start at the facility since finishing seventh there in 2021.

NOTES:

• Jake Finch is making his first start in the ARCA Menards Series (national) this year with Phoenix Racing, which has fielded cars for Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Jeff Purvis and many more. Finch earned his first victory in the ARCA Menards Series East earlier this year at Dover Motor Speedway.
• Cody Coughlin returns to the ARCA Menards Series this weekend with his family-owned operation. He put together an impressive seventh-place run in his first appearance of the year at Kansas Speedway, but did not take the green flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway after encountering issues in practice.
• Fresh off running the prestigious Mohegan Sun 100 in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Bryan Dauzat will make his fourth ARCA Menards Series start of the season at Pocono Raceway. Dauzat is seeking to improve his best performance of the year, which was a 14^th place finish at Talladega Superspeedway.
• The Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 will be Logan Misuraca’s first ARCA Menards Series start at a non-drafting track. She kept her car in one piece at Daytona International Speedway earlier this year to claim an 18^th-place finish but was relegated to 28^th at Talladega Superspeedway after getting collected in an early crash.