Marcos Ambrose's third straight top-10 finish was the
ticket to crew chief Todd Parrott's second
MOOG® Chassis Parts
"Problem Solver of the Race" Award in
Saturday night's Bank of America NASCAR® Sprint Cup race
at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
Presented by global vehicle components supplier and MOOG
steering and suspension parts manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation, the MOOG Problem Solver award is presented to
the crew chief who helps his team post the best
improvement in average lap time over the second half of
each Sprint Cup contest. Ambrose and the No. 9 Stanley
Bostitch Ford Fusion weretops in Charlotte by finishing
fifth with a 0.155-second jump.
After starting 12th, Ambrose quickly moved into the top
eight before reporting that the Ford’s handling was
tight and needed to provide more grip in the corners.
Parrott and the Richard Petty Motorsports crew responded
with a series of precise adjustments to the MOOG-equipped steering and suspension
over the next three pit stops, with each change adding
to Ambrose’s confidence and track position.
Parrott and Ambrose averted near-disaster when the
caution flew after the No. 9 entered pit road on Lap
287. Rather than fall a lap down with just 47 laps
remaining, Parrott gave Ambrose the wave-around to put
the No. 9 in the final spot on the lead lap for the
restart. The car’s earlier chassis adjustments helped
Ambrose quickly make up the deficit as he battled his
way up to fourth by Lap 318.
“Todd encouraged Marcos to give the chassis setup some
time earlier in the race and he was absolutely right –
the No. 9 was consistently posting lap speeds that were
as fast as the leaders over the second half of the
race,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim
Nelson. “Todd sensed that track conditions would start
to shift and they did.”
With just five races remaining in the 2011 Sprint Cup
season, six crew chiefs – Drew Blickensderfer (No. 6
Ford), Steve Letarte (No. 88 Chevrolet), Gil Martin (No.
29 Chevrolet), Bob Osborne (No. 99 Ford), Shane Wilson
(No. 33 Chevrolet), and Paul Wolfe (No. 2 Dodge) –
remain deadlocked in the battle for season-ending MOOG
“Problem Solver of the Year” honors.
“Every decision made in the pits from here on out could
have a huge affect on the outcome of our MOOG Problem
Solver competition. And believe me, all six of those
guys know it,” Nelson said.
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MOOG steering and suspension components are the leading
choice of NASCAR crew chiefs and automotive repair
professionals and have helped drive an unprecedented 45
consecutive NASCAR Cup champions to victory.
For the latest news and statistics regarding the MOOG
Problem Solver awards, simply click on the “NASCAR” link
on the brand’s popular www.moogproblemsolver.com
website. This technician-focused site also includes
extensive technical information about MOOG steering and
suspension components and a wide range of common chassis
repair challenges. To identify the rightMOOG part for
virtually any application, please use the convenient,
free www.FME-cat.com electronic
catalog.
Visit the company’s website at www.federalmogul.com.