Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion, made the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" in 2008, but was winless in the series this season. He finished 11th in the point standings.

"We are really looking forward to Drew coming on board with the No.17 DEWALT team," Kenseth said in a team statement. "Drew brings a great work ethic and high level of enthusiasm to our team. He has been waiting for the opportunity to become a crew chief in the Sprint Cup Series, and I know he'll make the most of it.

"I had the chance to work with Drew for a couple of years in the Nationwide Series, and he is one of the hardest working guys in the garage. He has a passion for the sport, and I know he will be a great addition to our No.17 team."

Blickensderfer replaces Chip Bolin, who will return to his previous role as team engineer. Bolin took over as Kenseth's crew chief at the start of this season when Robbie Reiser became the team's general manager. Reiser guided Kenseth in the Sprint Cup from 2000-07.

Blickensderfer has spent the past three seasons in Roush Fenway's Nationwide program. He helped guide Danny O'Quinn to a rookie-of-the-year title in 2006 before teaming up with Kenseth in NASCAR's secondary series. Blickensderfer and Kenseth won three races in a year-and-a-half before Blickensderfer moved over to Carl Edwards' team midway through this season. Edwards won seven of the last 19 races en route to a second-place finish in the Nationwide point standings.

Last month, Kenseth signed a multi-year contract extension with Roush-Fenway. He has been with the racing organization since 1998.