Donnie Wingo, crew chief of the No. 26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion driven by Jamie McMurray, won the NASCAR® MOOG® “Problem Solver of the Race” Award after McMurray gained 17 positions to finish sixth in the Tums Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
The MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented following each Sprint Cup event to the crew chief whose car delivers the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to the second half of the race while finishing on the lead lap.
The award is sponsored by Federal-Mogul Corporation, manufacturer of MOOG steering and suspension components. The MOOG brand is known in the automotive service industry and by NASCAR crew chiefs as “The Problem Solver®.”
McMurray and the No. 26 Ford started the day in 23rd position but cracked the top 10 within the first 50 laps of Martinsville’s .526-mile oval. After McMurray reported that the car was tight in the middle of turns, Wingo made a slight wedge adjustment to the left rear, which seemed to resolve the issue. The crew chief later made a crucial call – instructing McMurray to stay on the track during a series of three cautions at mid-race – that enabled the No. 26 car to pick up several positions on the leaders, setting the stage for McMurray’s highest finish of the year.
“There was a lot of pressure on crew chiefs because of the cancellation (due to weather) of Saturday’s practice sessions. Donnie did a great job of engineering a setup to use for the No. 26 car and with the performance and reliability of MOOG chassis components, Jamie had exceptional handling at the drop of the green flag,” says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “When your race practice is canceled, as crew chief you have to roll the dice. Using MOOG components is the one constant element that helps eliminate performance variables.”
For more information, visit http://www.moogproblemsolver.com.
