Matt Kenseth delivered a gutsy performance at one of his least favorite tracks and crew chief Jimmy Fennig earned his second MOOG “Problem Solver of the Race” Award in three weeks as the Roush Fenway Racing-owned No. 17 Ford Fusion finished fourth in Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (VA) Speedway.
Sponsored by MOOG steering and suspension products manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation, the Problem Solver award is presented following each NASCAR Sprint Cup event to the crew chief whose car posts the best second-half improvement in average lap speed in the race while finishing on the lead lap. Fennig and Kenseth were good for a race-high 0.059-second boost on Martinsville’s .526-mile oval. Fennig won his first MOOG Problem Solver award two weeks ago on another half-mile oval, Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway.
“Martinsville has been a tough track for Matt, but he and Jimmy had their MOOG-equipped Ford in the top 10 nearly the whole day,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “After qualifying halfway back (21st position), the Roush Fenway Racing team obviously came into today’s race with an excellent car and a great strategy.”
The No. 17 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation/Gary Senise Foundation Ford’s MOOG-equipped steering and suspension system had “perfect” balance by mid-race, according to Kenseth, who first cracked the top five on Lap 241 and ran as high as fourth the rest of the way. The result was his third top-five finish in 25 starts at Martinsville. Yet Fennig and Kenseth had a car that was nearly good enough to win, which was a major step forward, according to the driver.
“We came home in the top 10 at Martinsville and to not have anybody mad and not be mad at anybody is probably a pretty good day,” Kenseth said. “For us at Martinsville, it was pretty good.”
MOOG steering and suspension components are the leading choice of crew chiefs and automotive repair professionals and have helped drive an unprecedented 46 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.
