Dale Earnhardt Jr. Crew Chief Greg Ives Fights Through Challenges To Win MOOG 'Problem Solver' Honors At Bristol

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Crew Chief Greg Ives Fights Through Challenges To Win MOOG ‘Problem Solver’ Honors At Bristol

In addition to helping secure the No. 88 car’s 15th top-10 finish, Ives brought home his third MOOG Steering and Suspension “Problem Solver of the Race” Award, advancing him into a tie in the battle for the $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award. MOOG is the Official Steering and Suspension of NASCAR.

MOOG-NASCAR

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — It might not have been a perfect night for the No. 88 Chevrolet SS of Hendrick Motorsports, but the outcome was more than acceptable as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Greg Ives overcame multiple challenges to finish ninth in Saturday’s NASCAR Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. In addition to helping secure the No. 88 car’s 15th top-10 finish, Ives brought home his third MOOG Steering and Suspension “Problem Solver of the Race” Award, advancing him into a tie in the battle for the $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award. MOOG is the Official Steering and Suspension of NASCAR.

Ives received the weekly MOOG award on the basis of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet’s race-best 0.123-second-per-lap improvement over the second half of Saturday night’s race while finishing on the lead lap. But finishing on the lead lap, much less in the top 10, was anything but a sure thing for much of the night, as a suspected loose lug nut and other bad luck caused Earnhardt to fall a lap down on three separate occasions. In each case, however, the 88 team was able to leverage smart pit strategy and the benefits of a well-tuned MOOG-equipped chassis to advance toward the front of the field.

“You can never count the 88 team out if they’ve still got a car on the track,” said Tim Nelson, director of motorsports for Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “They hit the fence two or three times and had to return to pit road for a wheel check, but they still finished in the top 10. That’s the type of gutsy performance that helps win championships as well as our season-ending $100,000 Problem Solver check.”

Earnhardt started 20th but found himself running 35th on Lap 58 after having to make repeat stops on pit road. He improved to 30th by Lap 100, 21st by Lap 130 and 17th by Lap 240. After again falling down a lap, the 88 car slowly fought its way into the top 15. Earnhardt was again passed by the leader but earned a free pass on a caution flag, triggering an impressive late charge toward the front. He was running sixth on Lap 390 and as high as third with just over 100 laps remaining. The race was won by Joey Logano and the MOOG-equipped No. 22 Ford Fusion. It was Logano’s second straight win in the August race at Bristol and the 11th of his Sprint Cup career.

With his third weekly MOOG Problem Solver award, Ives is tied with rookie crew chief Justin Alexander (Paul Menard/No. 27 Chevrolet) atop the Problem Solver of the Year standings. Five crew chiefs – Rodney Childers (No. 4 Chevrolet/Kevin Harvick), Todd Gordon (Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford), Chad Knaus (Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet), Paul Wolfe (Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford), and Richard “Slugger” Labbe (Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet) – have two weekly MOOG wins. Fifteen different crew chiefs have won the weekly Problem Solver award in 24 races.

The MOOG brand, the preferred choice of professional technicians and NASCAR crew chiefs, is in its 50th year of Cup competition. In recognition of the vital importance of steering and suspension components in overall vehicle safety and performance, NASCAR mandates that Cup teams use MOOG Problem Solver parts, specifically ball joints and tie rod ends. Cup Series champions have won with MOOG parts for 49 consecutive years.

To learn more about MOOG products, please contact your MOOG Steering and Suspension supplier or visit the technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website. Like MOOG on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/moogproblemsolver and follow the brand on Twitter for product updates and special promotions.

You May Also Like

Auto Care Association Leaders Visit Northwood University

Auto Care President and CEO Bill Hanvey was the guest lecturer for several Northwood automotive aftermarket courses at its Midland campus.

Bill Hanvey Auto Care Northwood

Photo caption: Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association (pictured on the right), teaches an automotive aftermarket course during a recent visit to Northwood University in Midland, Michigan.

Leaders from the Auto Care Association recently visited Northwood University to meet with students enrolled in automotive aftermarket courses.

AutoPartSource/Momentum USA Receives O’Reilly’s Sales & Service Award

This is the second year in a row that O’Reilly has honored AutoPartSource/Momentum USA with the award.

Momentum USA OReilly
Auto-Wares Recognizes Six Companies with Supplier Awards

DRiV received the 2023 Supplier of the Year Award.

DRiV Auto Wares
O’Reilly Honors DMA with 2 Awards at Leadership Conference

DMA took home the Content and Omnichannel Award and the Marketing and Advertising Award.

DMA O'Reilly
Parts Authority Honors FCS as 2023 Supplier of the Year

The announcement was made during the recent 2023 Vendor Reception and Award Ceremony in Las Vegas.

FCS

Other Posts

MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Achieves UAF Gold Lifetime Trustee Status

The designation goes to “outstanding donors who significantly support the UAF’s mission.”

MEMA UAF Gold Lifetime Trustee
ASE Ed. Foundation, Auto Dealer Associations Tackle Tech Shortage

Three student competitions are currently scheduled for 2024, with more being planned.

ASE Education Foundation Auto Dealers
Northwood U Announces 2024 Class of 20 Under 40 Honorees

The program recognizes NU alumni who are ambitious professionals doing great things in their careers, organizations or communities.

Northwood University 20 Under 40
Two NexaMotion Units Expand Product Offerings, Open New Locations

Transtar Industries and C&M Auto Parts are expanding.

NexaMotion Expanding