Joe Lax, crew chief for J.J. Yeley and the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet SS, captured his first NASCAR MOOG “Problem Solver of the Race” Award after the No. 36 team delivered a top 10 finish in Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The prestigious weekly and year-end MOOG “Problem Solver” awards are sponsored by global vehicle components manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation.
The MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented to the crew chief whose car posts the greatest improvement in average lap time during the second half of each Sprint Cup event while finishing on the lead lap. The 36 team, which finished 10th after starting in 41st position, delivered a race-best 0.140-second-per-lap improvement over the final 100 laps at Daytona.
“J.J. and Joe are both new to the 36 team, so this was a great start to their partnership,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “J.J. reported that he was a little loose early in the race and Joe nailed it with a track bar adjustment on the second pit stop. From there on out they had a very fast racecar.”
The MOOG steering and suspension-equipped 36 car, owned by Tommy Baldwin Racing, consistently ran in the top 15 following Lax’s chassis adjustment. It was Yeley’s highest career finish at Daytona and his best Sprint Cup series performance since 2008.
In addition to the weekly MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award, Federal-Mogul also presents the $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award to the crew chief with the best overall performance throughout the 36-race series.
As the automotive service industry’s “Problem Solver,” MOOG parts are the leading choice of professional technicians and NASCAR crew chiefs. Federal-Mogul steering and suspension engineers work in partnership with Cup teams to develop and test innovative designs that help provide race-winning performance and durability. Many of these same technologies are featured in MOOG ball joints, tie rod ends and other components available for today’s passenger vehicles.
For more information regarding MOOG steering and suspension parts, visit the brand’s technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website or contact your MOOG supplier. To identify the right MOOG part for virtually any application, use the convenient, free www.FMe-cat.com electronic catalog.
