Part-time NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski and crew chief Lance McGrew teamed up for an impressive top-10 finish in the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Speedway. The surprising finish for the Hendrick Motorsports-owned No. 25 Chevrolet helped McGrew capture his first MOOG® “Problem Solver of the Race” Award.
Sponsored by Federal-Mogul Corporation, manufacturer of MOOG steering and suspension parts, the MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award highlights the talents of Sprint Cup crew chiefs, who play a vital role in ensuring race-winning performance.
The award is presented following each NASCAR Sprint Cup event to the crew chief whose car finishes in the top 10 and posts the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to the second half of the race.
Keselowski and McGrew clearly hit it off as teammates at Darlington. Starting in 31st position, the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet picked its way through the field on the historic 1.36-mile oval, moving up to 12th place by lap 173 and as high as fourth (lap 325) before finishing seventh. The Chevy posted a race-best .404-second increase in average lap speed over the final 183 circuits. Keselowski and McGrew joined three other Hendrick teams, including race winner Mark Martin and the No. 5 Chevrolet, among top-10 finishers.
Keselowski, who won his first Sprint Cup race just two weeks ago at Talladega in a James Finch-owned Chevrolet, is still looking for a full-time ride in NASCAR’s premier series. He also drives the No. 88 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series, where he is fifth overall in driver points.
“It is extremely rare for a driver and crew chief to ‘click’ so well in a part-time assignment,” says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “Brad Keselowski is obviously a very talented driver, and Lance McGrew gave him a car setup that got better and better throughout the race. Making the right decisions in the pits is a huge part of any Sprint Cup event, and Lance’s work at Darlington was clearly among the very best.
For more information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.
