Another Crew Chief Change for Kenseth

[south jersey girl]

according to FoxSports.com Lee Spencer...

Updated Jun 22, 2010 8:38 PM ET
Matt Kenseth and Todd Parrott have parted ways.

Former championship winning crew chief Jimmy Fennig, who was running Roush Fenway Racing's Research and Development  Center, will act as temporary crew chief for the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford until a permanent solution can be found. Fennig is a longtime Roush employee and worked with David Ragan last year.

Parrott replaced Drew Blickensderfer following the season-opening Daytona 500. Together Parrott and Kenseth posted four top fives and eight top 10 finishes. The pair’s best performance together was second at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.

Parrott could not be reached for comment but is expected to return to the Roush’s research and development department.

Kenseth, who won the 2003 NASCAR championship, is seventh in the point standings.

[OregonSHRFan]

I guess no one knows Matt better then Robbie Reiser.

[DougS]

Supposedly Jack Rousch last week stated that if Robbie Reiser wanted to CC again for Kenseth he could resign his General Manager position and demote himself.

Robbie last CC'ed in 2007. That was the year the COT was introduced in 16 events.

Since that time many generations of the COT have rolled out. Rousch racing has gone from having all 5 teams in the chase to it's longest current losing streak in both NNS and NSCS.

Many pit crew members have changed on the 17 over the past three years. So besides having a familiar voice and demeanor, what does Robbie offer Matt after being out of the game for 3 years?

[OregonSHRFan]

Its not like Robbie has been sitting on his thumbs for the past three years. Granted not being on the box is a negative. But the chemistry he and Matt had was what made that teaming special. I don't know if it could be obtained again or if its just a pipe dream. I don't believe that Matt not wiinning much since that split is all about who is Matt's crew chief. There have been tons of changes at Roush in that same time period. Really, the only real successful run was Carl's nine wins in that one season, everyone else has pretty much had about the same success as Matt.
I don't see Robbie demoting himself.

[20forLogano]

Robbie is too valuable to the organization in his current role and that is why he wouldn't have become his CC.  Fennig is a great fit and i think in a few weeks we will see some great results.  Overall Roush is behind right now with the fact Jack refuses to test.

[scott b]

If Fennig doesn't get results, it'll prove the problem wasn't the crew chief, at least in my opinion.

The fact that Edwards and Biffle aren't having great years either already supports that theory.

It's not like RFR is suddenly awful, but they are a step or two behind Gibbs and Hendrick, and probably a bit behind Childress as well.  If they don't show some signs of turnaround in the second half of 2010, it's going to be that much harder to try to correct in the offseason.

[south jersey girl]

found this interesting tidbit on Jayski


Reiser to return as Kenseth's crew chief? Loomis moving to Roush? Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that Robbie Reiser is likely to return as crewchief for Matt Kenseth's #17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford next season. Team owner Jack Roush pulled veteran Jimmy Fennig out of Roush Fenway's R&D Department to replace Todd Parrott as crew chief last week, the second change of the season for the #17 team. Fennig is Kenseth's fifth crewchief since 2007, and said last week that he expects to remain atop the pit box for the remainder of the 2010 campaign. Sources tell Sirius Speedway that there is "a very strong possibility" that RFR General Manager Robbie Reiser will return to the post in 2011. "Robbie wants to come back," said one source on condition of anonymity, "but he's doing such a good job as GM that Jack can't justify making a move right now. Next season, expect to see Reiser back on the pit box, with Robbie Loomis succeeding him as General Manager." Kenseth admitted that consideration is being given to bringing Reiser back as crewchief, saying, "He probably would have filled in for the rest of the year (and tried) to do both, but there just are not enough hours in a day."(Sirius Speedway)(6-28-2010)

[DougS]

That is an interesting tidbit. But I do hate unnamed sources even on Jayski or Sirius. We'll have to wait and see.

[FS Kyle]

I dug up the Ford transcript from Roush's press conference this weekend...

Jack Roush:

"As far as Robbie is concerned being Matt’s crew chief, Matt said the truth and pretty much all of it.  Faced with the prospect that Robbie could have been Matt’s crew chief for the balance of the year until we got to a plan that would be long-term, Robbie was not willing to say that he would stand down from doing the general managership thing he’s been doing."

... "And right on the heels of his being the crew chief for Matt the last time he had a health problem and he’s past that now, but neither Matt nor I nor Tracy – Robbie’s wife, which I didn’t have a conversation with Tracy, but I would have if it came to that point – but we’re not willing to put Robbie back into a situation where he can do jeopardy to his health."

[DougS]

I dug up the Ford transcript from Roush's press conference this weekend...

Jack Roush:

"As far as Robbie is concerned being Matt’s crew chief, Matt said the truth and pretty much all of it.  Faced with the prospect that Robbie could have been Matt’s crew chief for the balance of the year until we got to a plan that would be long-term, Robbie was not willing to say that he would stand down from doing the general managership thing he’s been doing."

... "And right on the heels of his being the crew chief for Matt the last time he had a health problem and he’s past that now, but neither Matt nor I nor Tracy – Robbie’s wife, which I didn’t have a conversation with Tracy, but I would have if it came to that point – but we’re not willing to put Robbie back into a situation where he can do jeopardy to his health."

Nice ockerkyle! But there's more here I think and we'll just have to wait it out.

[20forLogano]

Last weekend when I was in Loudon they were saying Reiser is coming back next year and Robbie Loomis is going to become the new GM for RFR.