BROWNSBURG, Ind. (August 6, 2025) – Top Fuel racer Shawn Reed had high hopes heading into last month’s NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the Seattle-area facility which hosted stop No. 11 on the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour.
Unfortunately for the Puyallup, Wash. native, a horrific high-speed crash during the weekend’s third qualifying session instantly halted Reed’s dreams of hoisting his first NHRA Wally trophy at his home track.
Now, with only two races remaining before the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff fields are set, Reed, who was left with two fractured ribs and a left index finger so badly mangled it required amputation, is fully focused on a quick recovery and ensuring his top 10-ranked Reed Trucking & Excavating team have a fighting chance in the chase for the 2025 Top Fuel title.
“We didn’t run Sonoma (the event immediately following the Seattle race) for obvious reasons, but I intend to be race-ready and back behind the wheel by Reading (Pa.) for the first race of the Countdown,” explained Reed.
“I have a pin in my thumb, which will come out later this month, and have been in regular contact with Josh Peterson (NHRA’s VP of Racing Administration) and feel confident I will be able to pass all of NHRA’s required medical clearances and be reinstated in time to run all six Countdown races.”
Reed currently occupies the No. 10 spot in the Top Fuel standings with No. 11-ranked Ida Zetterström trailing by 148 points.
With 100 points up for grabs at the upcoming Brainerd, Minn. race and 150 points available at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, there is the possibility that Zetterström could move ahead of Reed, effectively knocking him out of the Top 10 and playoff contention should he choose not to field his car at the remaining two regular-season events.
“The JCM Racing team recently announced that Ida (currently competing on a limited basis) has added Brainerd and Indy to her schedule, and while our points cushion is pretty good, I’m leaving nothing up to chance,” added Reed. “My team deserves to have a shot at the Countdown, and maybe in these last two races, we’ll really go on a tear and move up to eighth or ninth to start the Countdown, who knows.
“This is drag racing, and stranger things have happened, but what I do know is that I want to lock up a spot in the Top 10 and give (crew chief) Rob Wendland the opportunity to continue collecting more data at these next two races. So, that being said, we’ve made the decision to have a fill-in driver compete on my behalf at Brainerd and Indy.
“I have too good of a team and too good of parts to miss these next two. We’re 10th now, but there’s no reason why we can’t finish the year in the top five. Hey, Robert Hight won from 10th one year, so whatever we need to do to give ourselves a shot at it, we’re going to do.”
With a loaded talent pool of have-firesuit-will-travel licensed Top Fuel drivers to choose from, the NHRA rumor mill has already been abuzz with speculation as to who has been tapped to pilot the Reed Trucking & Excavating dragster at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Aug. 15-17, and the NHRA U.S. Nationals, Sept 29 – Aug. 1. Reed will announce his fill-in driver live on his Facebook page this Friday, Aug. 8 at noon ET.