Robbie Reiser looks around his office at Roush Fenway Racing and he can't help but marvel at how far he's come.

Roush Fenway boasts more employees than there are residents in Reiser's tiny hometown of Allenton, Wis. When he moved south, Reiser compiled what was at best a modest record as a driver before moving behind pit wall. Now, the budgets of his present organization and the family-owned team he once fielded in the Nationwide Series are separated by only $100 million or so.

Today, he's general manager in charge of Sprint Cup Series programs for an organization that gives definition to the term "mega-team." Owner Jack Roush was injured in a plane crash on July 27, and Roush Fenway driver Greg Biffle won just five days later in Pocono. But when Roush issued a statement in the aftermath of both events saying that he was comforted by Reiser's presence at the helm, there was more to the story.

How did Robbie Reiser ever get to this point?

"I started out racing mini-stocks in Wisconsin," Reiser said. "I don't really have a real high-educated background. To just be a farmer from Wisconsin, to be here today is unbelievable. A lot of days, I just shake my head. It's sure been a great ride."

Before the accident, Roush and Reiser spent most of the day together on Mondays in various meetings. Tuesdays, Roush was typically immersed in engineering issues within his teams and on Wednesdays, Roush usually visited the shop before heading out to that weekend's race.

Yet while Roush is an ever-present force, he normally leaves the day-to-day operations of the organization to people like Reiser. Roush is the big-picture guy providing guidance and vision, while Reiser and an army of employees put the plans into motion. In that respect, not much changed in the days after Roush's plane crashed while landing in Oshkosh, Wis.

"The things we get from Jack are the experience and the know-how," Reiser said. "He's got a real strong technical side to him. He does pay attention to what we're doing, and he's always there for counsel if we need it."

When asked about his job description as general manager, Reiser paused and laughed. It's the kind of deal where it would be easier to mention the things the job doesn't include, as opposed to what it does. Reiser said that he's in charge of overseeing construction of cars, the teams themselves, pit stops -- pretty much anything having to do with Cup competition, from one end to the other.

Sixteen supervisors run various areas within the company and they all report to Reiser. (Continued)