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TOP FUEL’S SHAWN REED EAGER TO KEEP COMEBACK STORY GOING AT NHRA 4-WIDE CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 16, 2025) – One of the most unique spectacles in motorsports, this weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at spectacular zMAX Dragway, will featuring one of the most remarkable stories in recent NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series history as Shawn Reed looks to stay perfect in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
The veteran won his first career NHRA Top Fuel race last weekend in Reading, Pa., completing an awe-inspiring comeback after his July crash in Seattle. The crash resulted in the amputation of Reed’s left index finger, but he was determined to return to the driver’s seat.
Jordan Vandergriff drove for Reed in Brainerd and Indianapolis, helping keep Reed alive for playoff contention. He entered the Countdown to the Championship opener 10th in points, but delivered an epic performance last weekend, moving all the way to fifth with his incredible victory.
Feeling plenty of momentum in his 12,000-horsepower Reed Trucking & Excavating dragster, a whole new set of challenges arrives in Charlotte at the first-ever four-wide race in the playoffs. Reed ran well at the Charlotte fall race a year ago, qualifying second, but the thrilling four-wide format adds another massive dynamic to the mix. Still, Reed is riding high after last weekend and believes nothing is out of the question now.
“I’m tied for fifth and my team is pumped,” Reed said. “It’s a long, long road to win one of these things. It takes a lot of luck. But if I could move up four or five spots right here and we can go to the four-wide in Charlotte and maybe go to the finals or the semifinals, we just have to get round wins. We don’t have to be a hero at every event. It’s tough to win one of these things, trust me.
“You don’t have to go light the world on fire. We went eight laps down the track every time, man. That just builds momentum and it builds confidence. It’s just a testament to what these guys do for a living. My team are the ones who got me here.”
Last year’s NHRA Carolina Nationals saw Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each claiming wins. This season’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including live coverage of eliminations beginning at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21.
It is the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship – and the 16th of 20 races in 2025 – and Reed is right in the mix in a loaded Top Fuel category. Doug Kalitta took over the points lead in Reading, leading racing legend and regular-season world champion Tony Stewart by 18 points (less than one round).
Shawn Langdon, who won the spring four-wide race in Charlotte during the 1,000th Top Fuel race, is right behind at 33 points back and Justin Ashley is 50 points behind Kalitta. The championship contenders also include Clay Millican, record-holder Brittany Force, who announced her retirement from full-time racing at the end of 2025, Steve Torrence, reigning world champ Antron Brown and Josh Hart, meaning an event win at zMAX Dragway won’t come easy.
The added element of four-wide racing makes for a thrilling dynamic – along with the rush of nearly 50,000-horsepower – and Sunday’s will be historic for someone, and Reed hopes it will be him. After last year’s Countdown to the Championship, Reed has this year’s postseason goal list mapped out and it starts with a strong performance this weekend at the Bellagio of drag strips.
“After last year, I said I’m going to do everything I can to be considered in the conversation in Vegas,” Reed said. “My goal was to get to Vegas and be, you know, Shawn Reed is an outsider but maybe he can get this thing. That’s my goal.
“We’re going to Charlotte and I’m not stopping, man. This crew is wound up and I’m just proud of these guys who put this car together. So many things can go wrong, but these guys have stepped up and they’ve done a really great job.” |
