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One of Cup racing’s most prestigious honors, the MOOG Problem Solver award is presented to the crew chief whose car posts the greatest improvement in average lap speed during the second half of the race while finishing on the lead lap. The No. 88 Chevrolet started 12th but improved by a race-best 0.150-second per lap to finish sixth on Charlotte’s mile-and-a-half quad-oval.
Racing the same chassis that won the preliminary Sprint Showdown event and the fourth segment of the Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte last week, Earnhardt ran in the top 10 for most of the night as Letarte and the Hendrick Motorsports crew continually adjusted the car’s MOOG-equipped chassis to address rapidly cooling track temperatures. The 88 car was at its best in the final 80 laps as it solidified its position in the top eight, with Earnhardt trying to mount a challenge to eventual race winner and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne.
“Steve and Dale had the second fastest Chevrolet on the track, behind Kasey, and they kept getting better all night long, which is what the MOOG Problem Solver award is all about,” says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “They have made huge progress this year, and it’s only a matter of time until they put it all together for a win.”
For more information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com or electronic catalog.
