MOOG continued to honor the best crew chiefs in NASCAR when Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Mark Martin and the No. 5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, wrapped up a strong finish at the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Gustafson is the latest recipient of the NASCAR MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award, which is presented following each Sprint Cup event to the crew chief whose team posts the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to the second half of an event. The award is presented by Federal-Mogul Corporation, manufacturer and marketer of MOOG chassis parts.
After starting in 23rd position, Martin and the No. 5 Chevrolet picked up a race-best .37-second in average lap speed over the second half of Sunday’s event to secure a sixth-place finish. The No. 5 Chevrolet picked up a whopping nine positions, to 18th overall, in Sprint Cup points, putting Martin well within reach of the top-12 field that will battle for the season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup.
“Every time I sit down in that race car, I’ve been one of the fastest cars at the race track,” Martin told NASCAR Scene. “I believe that we are a top-10 car every weekend.”
Much of the attention for the team’s rapid rise in Sprint Cup points has rightfully been directed to Gustafson and the Hendrick Motorsports crew, which helped Martin claim the pole in Atlanta and secure top-10 finishes at Bristol and Martinsville preceding Sunday’s race.
“The beauty of the MOOG Problem Solver Award is that every crew chief has an equal opportunity to win – you simply need to ‘break the code’ on a given day with precisely the right chassis set-up for the track and race day conditions,” says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “Alan had outstanding days at Bristol and Martinsville, but the #5 car was even better here at TMS. It’s great to see him earn his first MOOG award on this very challenging track.”
For more information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.
