Point leaders Kevin Harvick and crew chief Gil Martin captured their 17th top-10 finish of the year in the Air Guard 400 NASCAR sprint cup race at Richmond International Raceway. After helping Harvick and the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet overcome early challenges to finish ninth, Martin received his series-leading fourth MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award.
The MOOG Award, sponsored by global vehicle parts manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation is presented to the crew chief whose car posts the largest increase in average lap speed during the second half of an event while finishing on the lead lap.
Harvick and the No. 29 team struggled in qualifying and battled loose handling over the first 40 laps. Martin and the Richard Childress Racing crew responded with a variety of precise adjustments to the car's MOOG-equipped chassis. These changes, combined with cooling temperatures, helped Harvick steadily advance through the field, cracking the top 10 by the halfway mark. The No. 29 car ran as high as eighth over the final 200 trips around Richmond's 0.75-mile oval and posted a race-best change of 0.042-second-per-lap.
Martin's fourth MOOG Problem Solver Award breaks what had been a three-way tie with crew chiefs Shane Wilson (No. 33 Chevrolet) and Frank Kerr (No. 47 Toyota) for the prestigious MOOG 'Problem Solver of the Year' award."It looks like we'll have another very tight battle for our year-end MOOG Problem Solver honors," says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. "As we enter the Chase for the Sprint Cup, each of these talented crew chiefs will face even more pressure to make the best problem-solving decisions throughout the final 10 races."
For additional information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.
