Drew Blickensderfer, crew chief of the No. 17 Dewalt Tools Ford Fusion driven by Matt Kenseth, captured his fourth NASCAR® MOOG® “Problem Solver of the Race” Award after the No. 17 car picked up 27 positions to finish third in the Dickies 500 Sprint Cup event at Texas Motor Speedway.
Blickensderfer’s win puts him in the first-place position and breaks a six-way tie for the season-ending NASCAR MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award with just two races remaining in the 2009 Sprint Cup season.
Sponsored by Federal-Mogul Corporation, manufacturer of MOOG chassis parts, the MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented following each Sprint Cup race to the crew chief whose car delivers the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to the second half of an event while finishing on the lead lap. The MOOG Problem Solver of the Year Award is presented to the crew chief with the best overall performance throughout the 36-race season.
After facing a variety of challenges during qualifying, the No. 17 Ford started the day in row 15, but advanced into the top 20 within the first 65 laps. Following minor adjustments to the car’s MOOG-equipped steering and suspension system on lap 89, Kenseth’s Ford Fusion became increasingly fast and aggressive. The car broke into the top 10 following its fourth trip to the pits and was running in the top five by lap 205. Fuel strategy became a factor at the end, forcing the No. 17 Ford to pit with 21 laps remaining, but Kenseth climbed back to third and was one of just six drivers to finish the day on the lead lap.
“Drew and the No. 17 team did an amazing job of making the right adjustments to address changing track conditions throughout the day,” says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “By the final 50 laps, Matt and Drew had one of the fastest and best-handling cars on the track. Its MOOG chassis components provided exceptional steering and handling response.”
Heading into next week’s race at Phoenix, Blickensderfer stands alone at the top of the MOOG Problem Solver of the Year Award standings with four wins, followed by five crew chiefs who each have three MOOG Award wins: Chad Knaus (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), Alan Gustafson (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet), Steve Letarte (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet), Darian Grubb (No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet) and Kenny Francis No. 9 Budweiser Dodge).
For more information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.
