Robert Reiser (born June 27, 1963) is an American former crew chief and a general manager for RFK Racing. Reiser is the son of Alice and John Reiser, who served as general manager for Roush Racing's Busch and Craftsman Truck series race shops.

Career

The late model that Reiser used while racing in Wisconsin

Reiser started racing on the short tracks of Wisconsin. In 1984, he began driving late models. He won fourteen different track, area and regional championships from 1990 to 1992. From 1993 to 1997, his racing career culminated as a driver/owner in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Crew chief

In 1997, Reiser decided to stop his racing career in the Busch Grand National Series, he put snowmobile racer Tim Bender in his car. Bender got hurt after the eighth race at Texas, so he put his former Wisconsin competitor Matt Kenseth in the drivers seat until Bender recovered. Reiser lost the 1994 late model track championship at Madison International Speedway to Kenseth. Kenseth was quickly successful. Then Reiser and Kenseth combined for a second-place finish in 1998 and a third-place finish in 1999. In 2000, Jack Roush hired Kenseth, Reiser, and their entire Busch team to run full-time in Winston Cup. The combination was again successful. They rapidly moved up the final points each year. In 2003 Kenseth and Reiser dominated to win the final Winston Cup championship as driver/crew chief. With Reiser from 2000 to 2007, Kenseth won 16 races. In 2008, Reiser served as interim crew chief for Carl Edwards, helping Edwards win at Texas Motor Speedway.

General manager

Near the end of the 2007 season, Reiser was named the general manager for all five of Roush Fenway Racing's Nextel/Sprint 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.

Reiser was relieved of his duties as RFR GM on November 22, 2016.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Grand National Series

NASCAR Busch Grand National Series results
YearTeamNo.Make123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930NBGNSCPtsRef
1993Reiser Enterprises71ChevyDAYCARRCHDARBRIHCYROUMARNZHCLTDOVMYBGLNMLW 21TALIRPMCHNHABRIDARRCHDOVROUCLTMARCARHCYATL92nd100
199417DAYCARRCH DNQATL DNQMAR DNQHCY 24BRIROU DNQNHANZHCLT DNQDOVMYB 21GLNSBO 26TALHCY 23MCH 25BRI 31DARRCHDOVCLTMARCAR48th735
PontiacDAR 35MLW 30IRP 29
1995ChevyDAY 29CAR 38RCH DNQATLNSV 9DAR 42BRI 13HCY 28NHA DNQNZH 30CLT DNQDOV 17MYB 16GLNMLW 36TAL 18SBOIRPMCHBRI 27DAR 24RCH 37DOV 23CLT 33CAR DNQHOM 2330th1444
1996FordDAYCARRCHATLNSVDARBRIHCYNZHCLTDOV DNQSBOMYBGLNMLW 18NHATALIRPMCHBRIDARRCHDOV81st109
Stricklin Racing28CLT DNQCAR DNQHOM
1997Reiser Enterprises17ChevyDAYCARRCHATLLVSDARHCYTEXBRI 41NSVTALNHANZHCLTDOVSBOGLNMLWMYBGTYIRPMCHBRIDARRCHDOVCLTCALCARHOM116th40

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
YearTeamNo.Make123456789101112131415161718192021222324NCTCPtsRef
1996Mueller Brothers Racing4ChevyHOMPHOPOREVGTUSCNSHPTBRINZHMLW 26LVLI70IRPFLMGLNNSV65th288
42RCH 22NHAMARNWSSONMMRPHO 19LVS

External links

  • driver statistics at Racing-Reference
  • owner statistics at Racing-Reference
  • crew chief statistics at Racing-Reference