After nearly falling a lap behind in the early going, Clint Bowyer and the #33 BB&T Chevrolet Impala roared back to briefly take the lead before finishing sixth in Sunday’s FedEx 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Dover (DE) International Speedway.
Following the race, Federal-Mogul presented its MOOG “Problem Solver of the Race” Award to Bowyer’s crew chief, Shane Wilson, in recognition of the #33 car’s race-best improvement in average lap speed (0.218-second) over the final 200 laps. Bowyer started the day in 22nd position.
“Clint and Shane really had their work cut out for them when they were the last car on the lead lap, but it seemed like everything just clicked after Shane made some great adjustments to the #33 car’s MOOG-equipped chassis,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson.
Bowyer went from fighting to hold onto 22nd place on Lap 123 to battling for 10th position on Lap 199. He advanced to third just 26 laps later and captured the lead on Lap 338. The #33 car looked like a certain top-five finisher until a late caution reshuffled the field. The sixth-place finish was Bowyer’s best ever on Dover’s one-mile oval and his fifth top-10 performance in the past six Cup events.
“Clint had a great car over the final 100 laps and it looked like they had a chance to win it until that last caution,” Nelson said. “Still, I doubt anyone except Clint and Shane expected even a top-10 finish after their slow start. That’s problem-solving at its very best, and it’s what the MOOG award is all about.”
As the automotive service industry’s “Problem Solver,” MOOG steering and suspension components parts are the leading choice of crew chiefs and automotive repair professionals. MOOG parts have helped drive an unprecedented 45 consecutive NASCAR Cup champions to victory.
For additional information regarding MOOG chassis 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.