Tony Stewart posted his second consecutive top-five finish, serving notice that the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet is back in the hunt for a Sprint Cup title, in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Following the race, Stewart’s crew chief, Darian Grubb, picked up his first NASCAR® MOOG® “Problem Solver of the Race” Award of 2010.
Sponsored by MOOG chassis parts manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation, the Problem Solver Award is presented following each Sprint Cup event to the crew chief whose car posts the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to the second half of the race while finishing on the lead lap.
Stewart, who started in 17th position but had captured the lead by lap 22, improved by a race-best .037-second per lap over the final 100 circuits at MIS.
"That's the best car we've had in a long time, so I'm really proud of our guys. We're definitely gaining on it,” Stewart says.
Impressive come-from-behind finishes are Stewart’s stock in trade at MIS, where he holds records both for winning from the lowest starting position (28th, set in 2000) and picking up the most positions in a single race (38, in 2007). Yet being able to follow up last week’s performance with another top-five is a sure sign that Stewart and Grubb are making major progress in dialing in the No. 14 Chevrolet Impala for a serious run at the 2010 Sprint Cup title.
“For two straight weeks the No. 14 team has shown they have both great cars and the poise to win a lot of races over the remainder of the schedule,” saysMOOG Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “We’ve been especially impressed with Darian’s pre-race setups – the car’s MOOG-equipped chassis has been in top form, with exceptional steering and handling response both at Pocono and here in Michigan.”
Grubb is the 13th crew chief to win the MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award in 15 Sprint Cup contests. At the end of the year, Federal-Mogul will present the MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award to the crew chief with the best overall performance in 2010.
For more information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.
