Crew Chief Tony Gibson named MOOG ‘Problem Solver’ at Chicago

Tony Gibson, crew chief for Ryan Newman and the No. 39 Gene Haas Foundation Workshops for Warriors Chevrolet, won his first MOOG Steering and Suspension “Problem Solver of the Race” Award of 2012 after the No. 39 team advanced 15 positions to finish fifth in Sunday’s NASCAR Geico 400 Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway. The race was the first in NASCAR’s season-ending 10-event Chase for the Sprint Cup.
 
Sponsored by Federal-Mogul Corporation, manufacturer of MOOG Steering and Suspension components as well as a broad range of other automotive and performance products, the MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented to the crew chief whose car posts the greatest improvement in average lap time over the second half of the event while finishing on the lead lap. Newman and Gibson’s Stewart-Hass Racing-owned Chevrolet, featuring a MOOG-equipped steering and suspension system, had a race-best 0.538-second spread over the final 134 laps of Chicagoland’s 1.5-mile tri-oval.
 
“Ryan and Tony have come on strong in the past two events and I know they’d like nothing better than to grab another win over the next nine races,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “Tony did an excellent job of improving the car after qualifying, and they had the speed and precise handling Ryan needed to stay in the top 10 for most of the race.”
 
Gibson’s Problem Solver of the Race award leaves the top of the standings unchanged in the $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” battle, where three crew chiefs – Steve Addington (No. 14 Chevrolet/Tony Stewart), Chad Johnston (No. 56 Toyota/Martin Truex Jr.) and Steve Letarte (#88 Chevrolet/Dale Earnhardt Jr.) – are tied with four weekly MOOG awards each. Chad Knaus (No. 48 Chevrolet/Jimmie Johnson) is in second place with three MOOG Problem Solver of the Race awards.