Just when it looked like Dale Earnhardt Jr. was destined for a finish outside the top 10, the #88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet picked up 14 positions – and nearly caught race leader Jamie McMurray – in the closing minutes to finish second in Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Following the race, Earnhardt’s crew chief, Lance McGrew, received the NASCAR MOOG “Problem Solver of the Race” Award for his role in the thrilling finish.
The MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented by Federal-Mogul Corporation, manufacturer of premium MOOG chassis parts. Federal-Mogul is launching an innovative "Smart Choice" multi-brand campaign designed to reinforce the message that longer lasting, better performing premium replacement products are today’s best option for professionals and do-it-yourselfers performing virtually any common automotive repair. MOOG parts are a good example of how leading technologies from Federal-Mogul can help improve vehicle performance.
The MOOG award is presented following each NASCAR Sprint Cup event to the crew chief whose car posts the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to the second half of the race while finishing on the lead lap. Federal-Mogul also sponsors the season-ending MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award, presented to the crew chief with the best overall performance throughout the 36-race season.
McGrew’s award came after the MOOG chassis parts-equipped #88 Chevrolet, seemingly mired in 16th position with just a handful of laps remaining, picked up several spots through a brilliant late pit stop and then roared past several more cars over eight laps of “overtime” necessitated by NASCAR’s newly revised green-white-checkered rule. The highlight of Earnhardt’s final charge was a precisely executed three-wide pass of Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer that left only race winner McMurray in the #88 car’s cross-hairs.
“We’re thrilled that Dale Junior’s MOOG-equipped chassis played a role in what was an absolutely thrilling finish,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “The adjustments made in the #88 car’s final pit stop seemed to unlock an entirely new level of handling precision. Lance McGrew and the Hendrick Motorsports crew kept the #88 car within range all day and then clearly made the right call with the pit stop at the end.”
MOOG chassis parts help deliver the consistent, precise steering and handling response needed to ensure success in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition. That’s why MOOG is the preferred chassis brand of crew chiefs and professional technicians.
For additional information regarding MOOG steering and suspension products, please visit the brand’s technician-focused website, www.moogproblemsolver.com, or contact your MOOG supplier. More information also is available by writing to: MOOG Marketing, Federal-Mogul Corporation, 26555 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, Michigan 48033.
