Shawn Reed had a pretty good feeling he was going to be ready to race next weekend. He just needed a solid showing to prove to himself and others.
Boy, did he prove it.
Reed originally entered the IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series at Darana Raceway as a test session to gauge how well his hand had healed from a July crash in Seattle. Instead, he left with his first IHRA Ironman trophy, marking a successful return to the seat after weeks of uncertainty.
Reed, who lost a finger in the Seattle crash and dealt with multiple hand and body injuries, admitted his first run on Friday presented more challenges than expected. He struggled with his chin strap at the hit of the throttle, discovering his three-finger glove made adjustments difficult. By the end of the weekend, however, he had settled back into his role as a competitive Top Fuel driver.
Starting from the No. 3 qualifying position, Reed advanced through eliminations with steady runs. He beat Todd Paton in the opening round before taking out new IHRA speed record holder Jasmine Salinas. In the final, he lined up against multi-time champion Larry Dixon Jr., who was competing in his first IHRA national event. Reed delivered a 3.819-second pass at 327.75 mph to defeat Dixon’s 3.855 at 319.83.
The victory, Reed said, was a milestone in a year that has tested both his resilience and his team’s perseverance. “Well, it’s pretty cool,” Reed said. “I came into the sport just trying to run the NHRA, and the IHRA kind of popped up on the schedule really to test my hand. But I think I’ll be back to do some of these. NHRA is where my sponsors and stuff are, but I had a great time here at the IHRA, man. I mean they treat you really well, and yeah, I’m looking forward to coming back.”
For Reed, the win also represented the end of a difficult stretch that began with preseason testing and included the crash in Seattle.
“That win was pretty epic for us,” he said. “I mean we went Bradenton at the beginning of the year, and it’s been a long road testing some parts, and crashing the car in Seattle, and all the stuff that we’ve just been through. So good job to Wendland and all the guys that just got us down that right lane and with a really great number too. So yeah, pretty proud of everybody.”
Questions about his hand followed him all weekend, and Reed was candid about the lingering pain.
“It hurts a little bit, but it’s hard to get the gloves on and off, but it’s tolerable and manageable,” he said. “Hand injuries, from what I heard, are just you can’t do much about them. You can’t ice them. You can’t heat them. You can’t do anything. They just kind of heal after time. So it’s a great test. I managed to carve five passes, and we’ll go on to Reading, and we’ll try to move up in the countdown over there in the NHRA.”
Despite the physical challenge, Reed said the IHRA experience left a strong impression. “IHRA, man, badass,” he said. “I really appreciated them guys and everything they’ve done for us. Pit spot’s beautiful. The food’s great. Just really appreciative of all the guys coming over and thanking me for coming out here.”
While sidelined by injury, Reed’s car was driven by Jordan Vandergriff, a decision that was difficult for him to watch. “Yeah, that was terrible,” Reed said. “I mean, one day, I might want to be an owner and bring somebody up, and just not my time yet. I’m not washed up yet, so we’re good.”
The weekend also provided Reed a chance to thank his backers, both longtime sponsors and new supporters. “I want to just thank everybody again, and sponsors,” Reed said. “[ATRO], actually, he came out here on Friday on the test, and he signed up for next year and gave us a little bit more cash and really happy about them. Red Line Oil, man. Couldn’t be anywhere without Mark Beatty and Red Line Oil. Love that guy. Star Racer Belt, my crew chief’s company, just everybody that… Lincoln Welders, I mean, they’re doing great things for us as well, not only on in our race car team back at the shop, but also helping my company out back in Washington state. So Lincoln Welders, just great to have them on too with us.”
With a trophy in hand, Reed said he remains focused on finishing the season strong and building momentum into next year. “Yeah, I was hoping to pick up a few more sponsors for next year in 2026, but we’ll just keep going, pushing away,” he said.
