NASCAR Cup Series

Sources: Blickensderfer joining Burton

Published Nov. 21, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Drew Blickensderfer is parting ways with Roush Fenway Racing and is expected to be the new crew chief on the No. 31 Richard Childress Chevrolet for driver Jeff Burton, sources have told FOXSports.com.

An official announcement is expected this week.

Most recently, Blickensderfer, 35, was crew chief for the No. 6 Ford driven by David Ragan in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Blickensderfer, a nine-year employee at Roush, guided Ragan to the driver's first career Sprint Cup win, at Daytona International Speedway in July of this year. RFR currently has no plans to run that team on a full-time basis next season, and team owner Jack Roush said Monday morning he wasn't sure whether the car would run in the 2012 Daytona 500.

Blickensderfer started his career with RFR as a rear-tire changer on the No. 6 team. In addition to working as a crew chief for Ragan, Blickensderfer acted in the same role for Carl Edwards in the Nationwide Series on the No. 60 car and with Matt Kenseth, whom he led to two wins in the 2009 Sprint Cup season, including the Daytona 500.