It took a tiebreaker to decide it, but Tony Stewart’s thrilling come-from-behind victory in Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami (FL) Speedway gave the 40-year-old driver his third NASCAR Sprint Cup title and extended the MOOG steering and suspension brand’s Cup Series championship streak to 46 years.
Stewart and the MOOG-equipped No. 14 Office Depot/Mobile 1 Chevrolet entered the race just three points behind leader Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford). Edwards led most of the race, while Stewart faced a number of challenges, including front-end damage sustained during the first 20 laps. Yet, each time it seemed Stewart was out of contention, he somehow fought his way back to the front. He took the lead for good with 34 laps remaining and fought off the No. 99 car’s challenge for his fifth win in 10 Chase starts.
“Those were two of the gutsiest performances ever seen in a Chase event,” said Michael Proud, director of marketing, North America for Federal-Mogul Corporation, manufacturer of MOOG components. “Tony and Carl put on a great show, and their MOOG-equipped cars were easily the fastest and best handling vehicles on the track. Tony had to pass 118 cars to win this race, so he put our parts to the ultimate test today.”
Stewart’s win continues the MOOG brand’s Cup Series dominance, which began with 1966 champion David Pearson. Throughout the decades, MOOG product engineers have worked hand-in-hand with NASCAR teams to test innovative new component designs that help ensure championship-caliber performance on every track. According to Moog, this invaluable engineering insight ultimately leads to superior components for millions of passenger vehicles, as well.
All three of Stewart’s Cup Series titles have come in MOOG-equipped cars, as did each of the previous champion, Jimmie Johnson’s, five consecutive titles. Among the other Cup racing legends who have relied exclusively on MOOG parts to capture their championships are Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty, and Cale Yarborough.
“NASCAR is the perfect proving ground for MOOG technologies, and that has never been more apparent than in today’s race,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “Tony and Carl nearly drove the wheels off those race cars and yet they still had the same level of steering and handling precision on the last lap that they did at the start of the race. It was another powerful reminder that MOOG products drive champions to victory.”
According to the company, the MOOG product line includes an array of premium-quality steering and suspension components – including ball joints, tie rod ends, control arms, idler and pitman arms and sway bar links – covering virtually any foreign-nameplate or domestic vehicle.
Federal-Mogul recently expanded this line to include unitized wheel hub assemblies and complete strut assemblies. MOOG components are available through thousands of automotive service locations and parts providers throughout North America.
For additional information about the MOOG brand’s leadership in NASCAR competition, simply click on the “NASCAR” link on the brand’s popular www.moogproblemsolver.com website. This technician-focused site also includes extensive technical information about MOOG steering and suspension components and a wide range of common chassis repair challenges. To identify the right MOOG part for virtually any application, use the convenient, free www.FMe-cat.com electronic catalog.
