It’s getting crowded near the top of the MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” standings, as Jamie McMurray crew chief Kevin Manion won his third weekly MOOG Problem Solver award after McMurray’s No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet finished fifth in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. With his latest weekly MOOG win, Manion moves into a three-way tie for second place in the battle for the season-ending $100,000 Problem Solver award, just one win behind Ryan Newman (No. 39 Chevrolet) crew chief Matt Borland.
Presented by MOOG Steering and Suspension products 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 over the second half of each Sprint Cup contest while finishing on the lead lap. At the end of the year, Federal-Mogul presents the $100,000 MOOG Problem Solver of the Year Award to the crew chief with the most weekly MOOG award wins. McMurray and Manion’s No. 1 Chevrolet improved by a race-high 0.331 seconds in earning its second top-five finish in three races.
Manion’s award came after the No. 1 Chevrolet was nearly knocked out of contention when it spun out early in the race. The MOOG-equipped 1 car came back strong, however, and was running in or near the top five over the final 100 laps of the “Magic Mile.”
“Jamie and Kevin were running as strong as they have all year in the second half. You could tell that Jamie loved the setup of their MOOG-equipped chassis, and Kevin and the Earnhardt-Ganassi crew were nearly flawless on pit road,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson.
With eight races remaining in the 2013 Sprint Cup season, any one of 17 crew chiefs would seem to have a legitimate shot at capturing the prestigious MOOG Problem Solver of the Year Award. Borland stands alone at the top with four weekly MOOG wins, followed by Manion, Joey Logano (No. 22 Ford) crew chief Todd Gordon and Kevin Harvick crew chief (No. 29 Chevrolet) Gil Martin with three wins apiece. Steve Letarte (Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet) and Paul Wolfe (Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford) are tied for third with two weekly MOOG wins, and 11 crew chiefs each have won one weekly Problem Solver award.
According to the company, MOOG Steering and Suspension is the preferred brand of professional technicians and NASCAR crew chiefs, and MOOG components are recognized as the automotive service industry’s “Problem Solver,” with innovative designs that improve on original parts by providing increased durability, improved performance and easier installation. Many of the same MOOG technologies utilized in Sprint Cup competition are featured in MOOG ball joints, tie rod ends and other components available for today’s passenger vehicles.
For more information regarding the MOOG Problem Solver awards and MOOG products, visit the brand’s technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website or contact your MOOG supplier. Like MOOG on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moogproblemsolver. To identify the right MOOG part for virtually any application, use the convenient, free www.FMe-cat.com electronic catalog.
