Brad Keselowski Crew Chief Paul Wolfe Wins First MOOG 'Problem Solver' Award Following Top 10 Finish At The Brickyard

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Brad Keselowski Crew Chief Paul Wolfe Wins First MOOG ‘Problem Solver’ Award Following Top 10 Finish At The Brickyard

Sponsored by Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corp., the weekly MOOG Problem Solver 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.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
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MOOG NASCAR

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SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Paul Wolfe, crew chief for Brad Keselowski and Team Penske’s No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion, won his first MOOG Steering and Suspension “Problem Solver of the Race” Award after helping Keselowski finish 10th in Sunday’s Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. MOOG is the Official Steering and Suspension of NASCAR.

Sponsored by Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corp., the weekly MOOG Problem Solver 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. Federal-Mogul Motorparts also sponsors the $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award, presented to the crew chief with the best overall performance throughout the 36-race Cup season.

Keselowski described his car as “crazy fast” off the start, and the No. 2 Ford quickly advanced into the top 10 after beginning the day in 31st position. Wolfe and the Team Penske crew made several adjustments to the car’s MOOG-equipped chassis to improve its performance in the hot and humid racing conditions. Like every crew chief, Wolfe also was experimenting with the “high-drag” aero package instituted for the race to promote drafting and pack racing. One unexpected consequence of the package ­ which included a 9-inch spoiler, tail extension and other modifications ­ was a significantly hotter cockpit.

“The heat was an additional variable that each crew chief had to manage,” said Tim Nelson, director of motorsports for Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “Paul did an excellent job of helping Brad focus on picking up track position, and his chassis adjustments seemed to give the 2 car an added boost after almost every pit stop.”

Keselowski posted a race-best improvement of 0.120-second per lap over the final 82 laps to earn his 12th top-10 finish of the season. The race was won by Kyle Busch and the MOOG-equipped No. 18 Toyota Camry. Busch has been victorious in four of the past five Sprint Cup races.

Wolfe is the 14th different crew chief to win MOOG Problem Solver of the Race honors this year. After 20 races, rookie crew chief Justin Alexander (Paul Menard/No. 27 Chevrolet) holds the lead for the year-end Problem Solver award with three weekly MOOG awards, followed by Todd Gordon (Joey Logano/No. 22 Ford), Chad Knaus (Jimmie Johnson/No. 48 Chevrolet), Greg Ives (Dale Earnhardt Jr./No. 88 Chevrolet) and Richard “Slugger” Labbe (Austin Dillon/No. 3 Chevrolet) with two wins apiece.

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 chosen 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.

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Customer Service: How It’s Done

Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

Eric Garbe
By Eric Garbe
Eric Garbe is a graduate of Columbus State Community College with a degree in Automotive Maintenance Technology. He has extensive independent and dealership field experience as a technician and shop owner and is an ASE Certified Master Technician and former Adjunct Automotive Professor. He has been professionally writing automotive technical articles and documents for many years and in his free time enjoys restoring old cars and creating custom interiors and upholstery.
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This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.

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