Cory Reed closed out Friday qualifying at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in commanding fashion, running a 6.597-second pass at 206.32 mph to take the provisional No. 1 spot in Pro Stock at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection.
The J&A Service Chevrolet Camaro driver also earned the $2,000 “Ted Wiens Trick or Traction Award” for his efforts, continuing a breakout year that already includes his first career Pro Stock victory in Norwalk. Reed, who sits fifth in points, has been steadily improving, with back-to-back top-three qualifying efforts in St. Louis and Dallas before topping the charts Friday.
“It’d be nice to knock it out and get it done with,” Reed said of securing his first career No. 1 qualifier. “It’ll be tough, though. Erica’s running good again, Greg and I are really tight, and anything can happen tomorrow. Hopefully the weather gets really tricky.”
Reed’s smooth, confident approach reflects how far he’s come since entering the class. “I hope this momentum keeps going,” he said. “I want to move back forward in the championship, not backward. Having a good attitude helps — it makes it easier to go to bed and wake up happy.”
The 30-year-old admitted he’s been refining his technique after a few self-inflicted setbacks. “Just myself — doing stupid stuff,” he said. “Thinking too much, flickering the bulb trying to be real shallow, hesitating on the gas. I’m trying to get that out of my system, and it’s getting better.”
Reed said his car’s performance Friday was helped by small mechanical changes and freshened power. “They moved some shift points up and bumped some lights for me,” he explained. “They took the engine out after the last race to freshen it, and I didn’t want them to. But they did a good job — it’s running strong.”
For Reed, who also recently shaved his head to donate hair, it’s been a season of both personal and professional growth. “I’m just trying to improve mentally,” he said. “Once you get around 100 runs, things start to click. I’ve learned a lot from mistakes and just want to finish strong.”
With a smile, he added his final goal for the year: “I want to win the last two races. I’ll give it the best shot I can.”
