Point leaders Kevin Harvick and crew chief Gil Martin captured
their 17th top-10 finish of the year in the Air Guard
400 NASCAR sprint cup race at Richmond International Raceway.
After helping Harvick and the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
overcome early challenges to finish ninth, Martin received his
series-leading fourth MOOG Problem Solver of the Race
Award.
The MOOG Award, sponsored by global vehicle parts manufacturer
Federal-Mogul Corporation is presented to the crew chief whose
car posts the largest increase in average lap speed during the
second half of an event while finishing on the lead lap.
Harvick and the No. 29 team struggled in qualifying and battled
loose handling over the first 40 laps. Martin and the Richard
Childress Racing crew responded with a variety of precise
adjustments to the car's MOOG-equipped chassis. These changes,
combined with cooling temperatures, helped Harvick steadily
advance through the field, cracking the top 10 by the halfway
mark. The No. 29 car ran as high as eighth over the final 200
trips around Richmond's 0.75-mile oval and posted a race-best
change of 0.042-second-per-lap.
Martin's fourth MOOG Problem Solver Award breaks what had been a
three-way tie with crew chiefs Shane Wilson (No. 33 Chevrolet)
and Frank Kerr (No. 47 Toyota) for the prestigious MOOG 'Problem
Solver of the Year' award.
"It looks like we'll have another very tight battle for our
year-end MOOG Problem Solver honors," says Federal-Mogul
Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. "As we enter the Chase for the
Sprint Cup, each of these talented crew chiefs will face even
more pressure to make the best problem-solving decisions
throughout the final 10 races."
For additional information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.
