Reiser, Francis return to pit box after suspensions

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Robbie Reiser hardly even bothered to watch on television, deciding instead to spend his suddenly free weekends bouncing around on a four-wheeler in the North Carolina woods. The crew chief missed four races while on NASCAR-issued suspension, and saw in total only about 150 laps.

"There are a lot of kids who like to play baseball, but won't watch it. I'm probably in that category," said Matt Kenseth's crew chief at Roush Fenway Racing. "I like to do it a lot more than I like to watch it. Being that you've got a stake in it, it's kind of like gambling, like being at Vegas and watching the numbers roll. It's no fun until the end."

Reiser and Kenny Francis, team director for Kasey Kahne's No. 9 squad, returned this week from four-race suspensions levied by NASCAR after both were busted prior to the Daytona 500 for air ducts in their respective cars that weren't properly sealed off. They return to very different situations -- Reiser to a team that won a race in his absence and stands fifth in points, Francis to a struggling operation that could be in jeopardy of missing events beginning next week.

Behind team engineer and interim crew chief Chip Bolin, Kenseth posted three consecutive top-four finishes and a victory at California Speedway. With engineer Keith Rodden substituting for Francis, Kahne blew an engine at California, crashed at both Las Vegas and Atlanta, and enters Sunday's event at Bristol Motor Speedway 37th in owner points. Only the top 35 are guaranteed starting spots when 2007 points go into effect beginning next week at Martinsville, Va.

"It'll be nice to have Kenny back and get things going the way they need to be going," Kahne said. "I think communication [will benefit]. We understand each other really well. When I explain something he understands, and when he explains something I understand. It just seems like the process is quicker. We don't have to try as much. We don't have to try as many little things to find out what we need. It makes the process a little quicker."

Each crew chief handled exile differently. Reiser held a meeting with the No. 17 team before they left for each race, but stayed behind in North Carolina, worked in the shop, and effectively turned responsibility over to Bolin. Francis traveled to each race city, staying in the team hotel and using computer instant messaging to consult with Rodden over setup issues. (Continued)