Blickensderfer, Ford, Lambert Part Of Major Crew Chief Shuffle

Blickensderfer is on the move.

Drew Blickensderfer resigned as crew chief of Jeff Burton’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Sunday, and will leave Richard Childress Racing for a new spot atop the pit box for driver Marcos Ambrose at Richard Petty Motorsports.

Burton has suffered through a miserable 2012 campaign, and currently ranks 19^th in championship points with just two Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes in 33 starts. While sponsor Caterpillar recently issued a statement of confidence in both Burton and his team, the veteran driver said he sees the 2013 season as a “make or break” campaign. Rumors have circulated widely in recent weeks about possible changes at the crew chief position for the No. 31 team.

Blickensderfer will replace Mike Ford, who has been calling the shots for Ambrose since swapping jobs with veteran Todd Parrott a few weeks ago. Multiple sources say Ambrose was not consulted prior to the change, and disapproved of the move. Blickensderfer spent nearly a decade at Roush Fenway Racing, which provides technical assistance, chassis and engines to RPM.

FOXSports.com’s Lee Spencer reported today that Ford has been offered a crew chief’s position at BK Racing for 2013.

Veteran RCR crewman Shane Wilson will oversee Burton’s team for the final three races of this season. Multiple sources say Elliott Sadler’s Nationwide Series crew chief, Luke Lambert, will fill the role next year, after finishing the 2012 campaign with Sadler. Lambert spent nearly half of the 2011 season as interim crew chief for Burton, recording two Top-5 and five Top-10 finishes in 17 starts.

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