Replies

Newman's Crew Chief named 'Problem Solver of the Year': Sprint Cup racing's youngest crew chief is now also one if its most celebrated, as Luke Lambert of the #31 Richard Childress Racing Chevy team clinched Federal-Mogul Motorparts' $100,000 MOOG Steering and Suspension "Problem Solver of the Year" Award during Sunday's season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 31-year-old Lambert, in just his second full year as a Cup Series crew chief and first with driver Ryan Newman, finished 2014 with a series-leading four weekly MOOG "Problem Solver of the Race" Awards. He will receive his $100,000 Problem Solver of the Year check and a handcrafted MOOG ball joint trophy during the NASCAR Myers Brothers Award Ceremony December 4 in Las Vegas. The MOOG Problem Solver of the Race and Problem Solver of the Year awards recognize the vital in-race contributions of Sprint Cup crew chiefs. The weekly Problem Solver of the Race award is presented to the crew chief whose car posts the greatest second-half improvement in average lap time while finishing on the lead lap. The prestigious year-end Problem Solver award is presented to the crew chief with the best overall performance throughout the season. Four crew chiefs - Jimmy Fennig (#99 Ford, Carl Edwards), Chris Heroy (#42 Chevy, Kyle Larson), Chad Knaus (#48 Chevy, Jimmie Johnson) and Steve Letarte (#88 Chevy, Dale Earnhardt Jr.) - tied for second in the final Problem Solver standings with three wins each. Eighteen different crew chiefs won a weekly MOOG award in 2014.(PR)(11-22-2014)