Tony Gibson, crew chief for Ryan Newman and the
MOOG® chassis parts-equipped No. 39
U.S. Army Veterans Day Tribute Chevrolet, won his
first MOOG "Problem Solver of the Race" Award of
2011 in Sunday's NASCAR® Kobalt Tools 500 Sprint Cup
contest at Phoenix International Raceway.
Gibson’s win helped Jeff Gordon crew chief Alan Gustafson
maintain his slim lead over five competitors in the
battle for the prestigious, season-ending MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award.
The winner will be determined during next week’s
Sprint Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.)
Speedway.
Gibson’s MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award
came after Newman and the No. 39 Chevrolet posted a
race-best 0.259-second improvement in average lap
speed over the final 166 laps on the newly repaved
PIR oval. That boost – driven in large part by
Gibson’s ability to maximize the performance of the
Impala’s MOOG-equipped chassis – helped Newman pick
up 25 positions to finish fifth.
“It was great to see Ryan and Tony return to form
with their first top five since MIS in August,” said
Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director
Tim Nelson. “That was an impressive comeback for the
No. 39 – the car was handling beautifully in the
second half of the race. Tony had a great feel for
this track, which is amazing given all of the
changes that have been made since we lastraced
here.”
Although a winner has not yet been determined for
season-ending MOOG Problem Solver honors, what had
been an eight-way battle has been pared down to six
crew chiefs – Gustafson, Darian Grubb (No. 14
Chevrolet), Steve Letarte (No. 88 Chevrolet), Gil
Martin (No. 29 Chevrolet), Bob Osborne (No. 99
Ford), and Paul Wolfe (No. 2 Dodge). Gustafson
stands alone with four MOOG Problem Solver weekly
wins, while the rest have three apiece. In the case
of a tie, the season-ending award goes to the crew
chief whose driver has the most Sprint Cup
points.
“Next week is going to be an amazing battle – we
have three points separating the top two drivers in
the Chase and one weekly MOOG win separating six of
racing’s finest crew chiefs,” Nelson said. “This
time next week there’s going to be a whole lot of
celebrating going on, and for good reason.”
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 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
electronic catalog.
Visit the company’s website at www.federalmogul.com.
