After a day filled with adversity for Kurt Busch and the #2 Miller Light Dodge team, Busch and crew chief Steve Addington were more than happy with a sixth-place finish in Sunday’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. Following the race, Addington received the NASCAR MOOG “Problem Solver of the Race” Award for his role in helping Busch come back from a lap down to secure the team’s eighth top-10 finish in 14 Sprint Cup starts.
Sponsored by global automotive components manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation, the MOOG Problem Solver Award is presented following each 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. Busch’s “Blue Deuce” picked up a race-best .258-second over the final 102 laps of Pocono’s 2.5-mile course.
Busch and Addington had been unhappy with their car’s performance all day long. Then Addington and the Penske Racing crew made a series of modifications to help unlock the precise steering and handling response of the car’s MOOG-equipped chassis, and the #2 Dodge improved considerably over the final 50-plus laps. The team was aided by a “free pass” that advanced Busch to the lead lap on a caution, and then Addington opted to skip the final pit stop to further improve track position.
“That was a gutsy call that really paid off for Kurt and Steve,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “The #2 Dodge team fought all day to make the car more competitive, and then Steve made the decision to go for broke at the end. Problem solving performance is what the MOOG award is all about, and Steve solved plenty out there on the track today.”
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. MOOG products are available through leading auto parts providers and vehicle service providers across North America.
The benefits of MOOG parts and other leading Federal-Mogul repair solutions are at the center of the company’s innovative new "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.
For additional information regarding MOOG steering and suspension products, please visit the brand’s technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website or contact your MOOG supplier. To learn more about the Federal-Mogul “Smart Choice” campaign, simply visit www.FMSmartChoice.com.
