There apparently was room at the top for one more, as Todd Gordon, crew chief for Joey Logano and the No. 22 AAA Ford Fusion, captured MOOG Steering and Suspension “Problem Solver of the Race” honors at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. In picking up his fourth weekly MOOG award, Gordon forced a four-way tie at the top of the $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” standings with just two races remaining in the 2013 season.
“We’ve had several close finishes in our year-end Problem Solver battle, but I can’t remember ever having a four-way tie heading into Phoenix,” said Tim Nelson, motorsports director for MOOG Steering and Suspension manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation. “Racing fans are in for an exciting finish, not only in the Chase championship, but also in determining who is the best of the best on pit road.”
The MOOG Problem Solver awards recognize the achievements of the top crew chiefs in Sprint Cup competition. Federal-Mogul presents the weekly MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award to the crew chief whose car delivers the best second-half improvement in average lap time while finishing on the lead lap. The $100,000 year-end award goes to the crew chief with the most weekly MOOG wins during the season. Gordon’s win in Sunday’s AAA 400 came after the MOOG-equipped 22 car improved by a race-best 0.093 seconds per lap over the final 167 laps to finish third at TMS. The race was won by Jimmie Johnson and the MOOG-equipped No. 48 Chevrolet.
Now deadlocked at the top of the year-end MOOG award standings are Gordon, Matt Borland (crew chief for Ryan Newman and the No. 29 Chevrolet), Gil Martin (Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Chevrolet), and Paul Wolfe (Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford). If there is a tie after the Chase finale at Homestead, Fla., the MOOG award will be presented to crew chief whose driver has the most Sprint Cup driver points.
In addition to a check for $100,000, the MOOG Problem Solver of the Year winner also receives a custom-crafted MOOG ball joint trophy. The year-end award is presented during the annual NMPA Myers Brothers Award Luncheon in Las Vegas in December.
For more information regarding the MOOG Problem Solver awards and MOOG products, visit the brand’s technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website or contact your MOOG supplier. Like MOOG on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moogproblemsolver or follow us on Twitter. To identify the right MOOG part for virtually any application, use the convenient www.FMe-cat.com electronic catalog.
