MOTORSPORTS

Robbie Reiser didn’t really have a lot he wanted to say about his situation at Roush Fenway Racing. He was relieved of his duties as vice president of competition. But he’s not going anywhere.

He doesn’t yet have a title or even a full job description for his next role as the team struggles to regain its footing. But he is as dedicated to doing his part to bring success as he was in 2003, when he won a NASCAR title as Matt Kenseth’s crew chief, or in 2007, when he answered Jack Roush’s call to lead the whole operation.

And at this point in his life, the 53-year-old, secondgeneration racer from Allenton is OK with it all.

“This is going to free me up for my family, to be able to spend some time with them,” said Reiser, who has one son in college and twin boys in high school, one of them a dirt-bike racer he has rarely watched.

Reiser’s choice of words Thursday was interesting — he was “relieved” of his duties — because you have to believe there’s a part of him that is relieved. He works hard, he’s stubborn and he’s not cut out to lose.

Reiser wanted to be a driver and then a crew chief and team owner. He didn’t set out to run what was at the time a five-car operation. Then the sponsorship market crumbled shortly after he moved into the big office, Roush's longtime confidante and team president Geoff Smith retired and Roush was seriously injured for a second time in a plane crash.

Reiser was never able to match the success he had as a crew chief. Top drivers Kenseth and Carl Edwards left. And what had been mostly an inside job became 25 weekends at the racetrack again in 2016.

Now Roush Fenway has cut back to two cars in the top division for next year