Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Steve Letarte continued to climb the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings with their fourth top-10 finish of the season in Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 event at Texas Motor Speedway. Following the race, Letarte received Federal-Mogul’s MOOG chassis parts “Problem Solver of the Race” Award for the third time in just seven starts with the #88 team.
The MOOG Problem Solver award honors the crew chief whose problem-solving expertise helps drive the largest improvement in average lap speed during the second half of each Sprint Cup event while finishing on the lead lap. The MOOG chassis parts-equipped #88 Chevrolet once again posted the best second half with a 0.062-second improvement over the final 167 laps for a ninth-place finish at Texas.
“Every time the #88 car came out of the pits, it was significantly better at every point on the track, with exceptional handling. That’s a testament to Steve’s talents as a problem solver,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “Dale Jr. and Steve make a great team and their performance in the first seven races shows they’re a force to be reckoned with.”
The #88 car started in 28th position but picked up 10 spots before the first round of pit stops. Earnhardt consistently ran in the top 12 all night and cracked the top 10 for the third and final time with fewer than 20 laps to go. Since a disappointing 24th-place performance at Daytona, the #88 car has finished no lower than 12th and was runner-up at Martinsville last week. Earnhardt now stands 6th overall in Sprint Cup points.
“It’s just a matter of time before Dale Jr. and Steve get their first win together – they’re making huge progress each week,” Nelson said. “We’re pleased that they rely on MOOG components to provide the precise handling and superior durability they need to be successful on every track.”
MOOG steering and suspension components are the leading choice of NASCAR crew chiefs and automotive service technicians and are available through thousands of leading repair locations throughout North America. The unique benefits of MOOG products are highlighted in Federal-Mogul’s “Smart Choice” campaign, which reinforces the message that longer lasting, better performing replacement parts are today’s best option for technicians and consumers.
For additional information regarding MOOG chassis parts, visit the brand’s technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website or contact your MOOG supplier. To identify the right MOOG part for virtually any application, use the convenient, free www.FMe-cat.com electronic catalog.
