Tech Q&A: Robbie Reiser

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- In no time in recent memory has a championship leader and his team gotten as little credit as has Matt Kenseth, crew chief Robbie Reiser and their Roush Racing crew.

But the fact remains, Reiser and Kenseth, a pair of Wisconsin natives in their sixth full season together in NASCAR racing have put the Winston Cup community on its collective ears with a season that has left them 389 points ahead with 11 races remaining.

Reiser, a former driver that raced against Kenseth in Late Models back home and since then has done a lot to structure his career as a team owner, crew chief and friend; took a break while preparing for the Southern 500 to look ahead to this weekend's Chevy Rock & Roll 400, where he and Kenseth are the defending champions.

Going into Richmond, the 26th race of the season, the assumption would have to be that you guys have not changed anything as far as preparation or strategy?

Robbie Reiser: We've had a really good year so far. We've not really changed anything in any of our philosophies at all. We approach each race one at a time. This weekend we've got Darlington and next weekend we got Richmond and we're just taking it one step at a time.

	Robbie Reiser Credit: Autostock

Matt has voiced some concern over not winning races and feels like you guys have not gotten enough credit for not winning as much as last season, when your five wins was best in the series.

When you guys have 23 top-15 finishes in 25 races, does that prove first, that you're competitive and second, what a fine line it is between winning and something else?

Robbie Reiser: I think the thing that's really been disappointing this year is that last season we won a bunch of races and didn't really get much credit.

This year we've run consistently well almost everywhere and haven't got much credit because everyone says, 'The point system ain't right, they shouldn't be there, they shouldn't be doing this or doing that.'

I think after a while it gets a little sickening listening to all that, because we've run pretty well this year.

A lot of things about this sport are distorted by the media or in the garage area. Is what you're experiencing an example of that?

Robbie Reiser: There's no question it works on you a little bit. You come every week and do the best you can. To run as well as we have this year and to have everybody overlook us and say we haven't done that well is kind of disappointing and I think that's what kind of works on everybody.

Do you guys stress out at all over Matt's qualifying not so well? Racing has not been an issue, as your record shows, including winning from 25th last fall at Richmond, but what about that qualifying?

Robbie Reiser: It doesn't really bother us at all. At some of the tracks, track position is more important and that works on you a little bit and makes you a little bit nervous when you've got to start in the back.

But all in all lately our qualifying has come around. We're starting sixth here at Darlington and we started 10th at Bristol. It's all kind of falling into place. It just took a little bit of time.

What's the most critical thing with qualifying at Richmond?

Robbie Reiser: No question, it's a good handling car. Most of the time when we unload we need to be a little bit closer than we have been and that's been kind of the struggle in the past, just getting the car comfortable for Matt.

Each year teams struggle in Winston Cup, as the Dale Jarrett's 88 bunch and Tony Stewart's 20 team have.

Do you feel like this season is just the next step in a long building process you and Matt have been undergoing since you raced together in the Busch Series with your dad's team and it's a sign you'll be a force going forward?

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Robbie Reiser: You always hope that and I'm sure those guys hope that, too, since the 20 and the 88 have set it up to be that way. All we can do is try our best and try to stay on top of it the best that we can.

Whenever you go through a season like we've had there are a lot of distractions that come along with it, so trying to keep the focus within the team is pretty important.

QAt Richmond, what's the most critical thing on the racecar to maintain a fast piece throughout not only a run, but all night long?

Robbie Reiser: At Richmond, you have to work to be good on the long runs, because even though there's cautions, you do run a lot of (green flag) laps in a row. I think last year when we won the race in the fall, the last 120 laps went green. So it's important to get set up for the long runs so you don't wear the tires out too fast.

What's your opinion, strategically, on fuel mileage races?

Robbie Reiser: You know, I really don't have a comment for that because it doesn't really matter. Whatever the situation is, we've got to deal with it.

Some racetracks we go to, gas mileage is going to come into play no matter what you've got. At some racetracks tires are going to be the key, like we'll have at Darlington. That's just the way it is.

Before we went to Rockingham at the beginning of this season, we talked about how tough it was to defend a victory in Winston Cup. How much of a credit is it to the organization of your team to have the season you guys have put together?

Robbie Reiser: It goes back to what I said on Day 1 when we started this team: It's all about the people. This group of guys has pretty much stuck together. We've had a little bit of turnover, but not much.

They've been in it together for four years and now they're starting to reap the rewards of sticking together.

When you look at the season you and Matt and the guys have had, is there any kind of statement you'd like to make, maybe about something you don't get asked much?

Robbie Reiser: I love NASCAR racing. I come here every week and do the best I can. I like working with the team that we have and that's really about all I can say about it. I do this because I like it -- I don't do it because I get paid for it. I do it because I love doing it.