ROBBIE REISER - 06/27/1963
Robbie started racing on the short tracks of Wisconsin. In 1984, he began driving late models. He won 14 different track, area and regional championships from 1990–1992. Reiser started his own Xfinity series team in 1993 and drove part time through 1997. After his driver got hurt, he put his former Wisconsin competitor Matt Kenseth in the drivers seat in 1997. Kenseth was quickly successful. Reiser and Kenseth combined for three wins and a second place finish in 1998 Xfinity points; and a third place finish in 1999, claiming four more wins. There success as a small independent team caught the eye of owner Jack Roush. He hired Kenseth and Reiser, and their entire Xfinity team to run full time in Cup. The combination was again successful. Their first full time season (2000); they won one race claiming a win in the Coke 600. They rapidly moved up the final points each year. In 2003 Kenseth and Reiser dominated to win the Cup championship as driver/crew chief. The pair only won one race, but their consistent finishes had them comfortably ahead when the season ended. The following season is when NASCAR
implemented the new Chase format; and was brought about because of the way Kenseth won the Championship. Not racing to win every week; but rather to post consistent Top 5 finishes. The pair was together driving for Roush from 2000 through 2007. Kenseth won twice in 2004; once in 2005; four times in 2006 and twice in 2007. Near the end of the 2007 season, Reiser was named the general manager for all five of Roush Fenway Racing's Cup teams. His last race as crew chief was the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, which became the second victory of the season for driver Matt Kenseth. 2008 was the first time Kenseth ever had a different chief than Reiser. The duo won 17 races together, including the Coke 600 in 2000. As mentioned they won the Cup Championship in 2003; and finished in the top ten from 2002-2007. In 2008 Reiser headed up the efforts of Carl Edwards as he filled in for full time Crew Chief Bob Osbourne and led Edwards to a win at Texas. In November of 2016, Reiser was relieved of his duties at Roush Racing.
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