Chandler resigns as Compton's crew chief

LOCUST, N.C. -- Jeff Chandler resigned Monday as crew chief for NASCAR Busch Series driver Stacy Compton and the Kingsford/Bush's Baked Beans/Bubba Burgers/Winnebago/Duck Head Footwear team, ST Motorsports owner Tad Geschickter said.

Chris Carrier will serve as the interim crew chief at this Saturday's Twister 300 at the Chicagoland Speedway.

"It was a mutual agreement," Geschickter said. "We're becoming a more competitive team. We're driven to win. Jeff brought a lot to this race team and we appreciate everything we accomplished with him."

Chandler echoed Geschickter's sentiments, "I really appreciated the opportunity to work with Stacy, Tad, and all of the folks at ST Motorsports. I look forward to watching them be successful in the future and I look forward to my next opportunity in NASCAR."

Carrier and Compton have worked together in the past. They competed in a one-race deal with Morgan-McClure Motorsports at the 2003 Pepsi 400 Nextel Cup Series race at the Daytona International Speedway.

"Jeff Chandler took this team to another level," Compton said. "We're eager to find the right person to come in and take us to yet another level. We have great cars, great Sponsors, and all the tools necessary to win races and compete for the championship. I'm really looking forward to getting started."

Geschickter said he is compiling a list of candidates to replace Chandler on a full-time basis.

"The most valuable asset a race team has isn't the cars or all the tools," Geschickter said. "It's the people. I'm excited about the direction we're headed. We're going to change the way things are done in the Busch Series."

Compton blew a right-front tire on the 25th lap of last Friday night's Winn Dixie 250 at the Daytona International Speedway. It was the first crash for Compton this year, but the 42nd-place finish dropped him six positions to 18th in the Busch Series standings.