Richard Childress Racing announced Monday that Shane Wilson will take over as crew chief for its No. 31 Chevrolet team and driver Jeff Burton for the remainder of the 2012 season. Wilson replaces Drew Blickensderfer, who is expected to join another organization.
Luke Lambert, who has served as crew chief for Elliott Sadler in the Nationwide Series this season, will take over as Burton's permanent crew chief for the 2013 season.
"I want to thank Drew for all of his effort with the No. 31
Caterpillar team this season," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of
RCR. "He's a great crew chief and I can't say enough about
his dedication to RCR. Making the move now, before the season is over, gives
Drew some additional time to pursue other opportunities.
"Shane is a proven winner and I appreciate his willingness to
step into this role for the balance of the 2012 season."
Lambert has previously worked with Burton, serving as an interim crew chief during the 2011 season.
"Luke is proving this season that he's a strong, young crew
chief who can win races and compete for a championship," added Childress.
"Announcing his move to the No. 31 team in 2013 will not take anything away from
his focus on the No. 2 team winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.
That's his No. 1 priority. We merely wanted to show that we have both an interim
plan for the rest of this season and a long-term plan for the
future."
