Burton gets Luke Lambert as crew chief

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Richard Childress Racing has made a crew chief change for slumping driver Jeff Burton.

Luke Lambert will replace Todd Berrier effective immediately. Lambert has been the engineer on Burton’s No. 31 Chevrolet since 2008.

Burton made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship last season, but he’s 25th in the points standings. He doesn’t have a top-10 this season, and has finished 20th or worse 12 times.

Team owner Richard Childress says Lambert will be on an interim basis until further notice.

Berrier had been with Burton since late in the 2009 season.

It’s the fifth major crew chief change in the past month. Juan Pablo Montoya, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr. and AJ Allmendinger have all had recent crew chief changes.