Marcos Ambrose and the MOOG chassis parts-equipped #9 Dewalt Ford roared back from 31st position with 55 laps remaining to finish ninth in Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Following the race, Ambrose’s crew chief, Todd Parrott, was named MOOG “Problem Solver of the Race” for his role in the #9 car’s sixth top-10 finish of the year.
One of Sprint Cup racing’s most prestigious weekly honors, the MOOG Problem Solver Award is presented to the crew chief whose car posts the best second-half improvement in average lap speed while finishing on the lead lap. The Richard Petty Motorsports-owned #9 Ford delivered a race-best 0.011-second change on New Hampshire’s 1.058-mile oval.
Ambrose, who started 22nd, had methodically improved his position all day and led for four laps before a succession of cautions reshuffled the field. He still seemed destined for a top-10 finish until a loose wheel forced a return to the pits on Lap 240, leaving the #9 car mired in 31st place. But, aided by a 56-lap green flag run and a nicely dialed-in chassis featuring MOOG steering and suspension components, the 35-year-old Australian driver rocketed through the field, completing his 22nd pass with just a quarter mile to go.
“Sometimes great crew chiefs work a problem all day and sometimes that problem is thrust upon them late in a race,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “It seemed like Todd and Marcos were out of the running after the loose wheel, but they regrouped and showed how fast their car really was. No problem is insurmountable in the mind of a Sprint Cup crew chief.”
The MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award was Parrot’s first of 2011. With 19 races complete, three crew chiefs – Bob Osborne (#99 Ford), Steve Letarte (#88 Chevrolet) and Gil Martin (#29 Chevrolet) – are tied for first place with three wins each in the battle for the season-ending MOOG Problem Solver of the Year Award.
MOOG steering and suspension components are the leading choice of NASCAR crew chiefs and automotive repair professionals and have helped drive an unprecedented 45 consecutive NASCAR Cup champions to victory.
For the latest news and statistics regarding the MOOG Problem Solver awards, 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, please use the convenient, free www.FMe-cat.com electronic catalog.
