In just his third week as crew chief of the No. 31 CAT Financial Chevrolet Impala driven by Jeff Burton, Todd Berrier was presented the NASCAR® MOOG® “Problem Solver of the Race” Award after the No. 31 Caterpillar team picked up 35 positions en route to an impressive runner-up finish in the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Sprint Cup event at Phoenix International Raceway.
Sponsored by Federal-Mogul Corporation, the MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented following each Sprint Cup race to the crew chief whose car delivers the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to the second half of an event while finishing on the lead lap.
Federal-Mogul also sponsors the season-ending MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award, which is presented to the crew chief with the best overall performance throughout the 36-race season.
Berrier’s first MOOG Award of 2009 came after the No. 31 team posted its best finish of the season and its third straight top-10 performance. The Richard Childress Racing-owned Chevrolet had run poorly in the qualifying session but showed from the outset that it had the power and precise steering and handling to make a run at the race leaders.
Following slight adjustments to its MOOG-equipped chassis during a pit stop on lap 70, the No. 31 car began a relentless march through the field over the next 150 laps. Burton broke into the top five by lap 230 and moved up to second place with 23 laps remaining.
“The No. 31 team’s success over the past three races shows how important the crew chief really is in today’s Sprint Cup series,” says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “In fact, if it hadn’t been for their qualifying position, they might have won this race. The car’s MOOG chassis components responded well to the adjustments made and allowed Todd and crew to have the car really dialed in to the changing track conditions. Todd and his crew made all the right calls throughout the day.”
For more information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.
