It was an evening of “firsts” at Phoenix International Raceway as Sam Hornish Jr. and the No. 77 Dodge Charger posted a career-first top-10 finish in NASCAR® Sprint Cup competition. Hornish’s crew chief, Travis Geisler, captured his first MOOG® “Problem Solver of the Race” Award following the Subway Fresh Fit 500.
The NASCAR MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award 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 of MOOG chassis parts.
A three-time IndyCar Series champion, Hornish had struggled since moving to Sprint Cup competition following the 2007 season.
But the pieces seemingly fell into place on lap 125 of Saturday’s 312-lap event when a series of chassis adjustments and tire changes ignited an aggressive 40-lap stretch that saw Hornish move from 30th to 10th place. The No. 77 Dodge, which finished ninth overall, posted a race-best .076-second improvement in average lap speed over the final 156 laps of PIR’s one-mile tri-oval.
“I’ve said it after almost every race – any crew chief can win the MOOG Problem Solver Award on any given track. Travis and the No. 77 Dodge just ‘clicked’ about midway through (April 18’s) race thanks to some great chassis modifications that matched the cooler temperatures when the sun went down,” says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “Tim Geisler continues the string of eight consecutive races with a different MOOG Award winner. We’re very pleased he and Sam were able to have such a memorable day at PIR.”
For more information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.
