For years, Shawn Reed found much success at Firebird Motorsports Park—but not on the dragstrip. Instead, his victories came on the water, where he won multiple International Hot Boat Association (IHBA) championships in the Blown Alcohol Hydro class. Now, Reed returns to the iconic Phoenix facility with a new challenge: to translate his dominance on the water to the asphalt in a Top Fuel dragster.
Reed, driving the Reed Trucking & Excavating Top Fuel Dragster with Rob Wendland as lead crew chief, is set to compete in the NHRA Arizona Nationals, March 21–23. With his deep history at Firebird, he’s aiming to become the only driver to claim wins both on the track and on the water at the same venue.
“I probably would be the only one who’s ever won on the water here and on the asphalt,” Reed said. “It’s definitely different, but it’s still pretty dang cool.”
From Hydroplanes to Horsepower
Growing up near Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington, Reed was no stranger to high-speed motorsports. He began his boat racing career in the early 2000s and quickly made a name for himself, winning five IHBA world championships. Firebird was a staple of his success, hosting both the IHBA World Finals and season openers.
“I enjoyed a lot of it,” Reed said. “It was pretty cool. I’ve won the race a couple of times, but more importantly, I’ve won a lot of world championships [at Firebird Motorsports Park]. Even if I didn’t win the race, I clinched them up here, so a lot of memories here for sure.”
When he reached the pinnacle of boat racing, Reed knew it was time for a new challenge. “I accomplished probably way more in boat racing than I ever thought I would. It got to the point where I got more of a kick out of somebody beating me because they were so ecstatic about it than me actually winning. When I started rooting for the other guys, it was time to move on and go challenge myself.”
Reed reached out to Todd Patton, who was a familiar name to him since he was already buying parts from him for his racing boats. He knew Patton had a Top Fuel car and, as Reed says, “bit the bullet and paid to get his license.”
However, before Reed went Top Fuel racing, he enrolled in Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in December 2014. Despite never having raced anything on land before, Reed embraced the learning curve.
“I never went to my high school drags, and I had never even seen a Christmas tree on the asphalt in my life,” confessed Reed. “I’ve never driven anything down the asphalt track.”
Then, in 2015, Reed earned his license and made his Top Fuel debut at the 2015 NHRA Gatornationals. From there, he continued to rent Patton’s Top Fuel Dragster with the support of his sponsors, Barbara and Floyd Hughes of Hughes Oilfield and Transportation.
“They both passed away from COVID, but they were instrumental in me getting to where I am,” Reed shared.
Chasing Success in 2025
Fast forward to 2025, and Reed has already tasted success. He recently won the SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park, an early-season statement that his team is a contender.
Reed draws on his experience as a seasoned boat racer when it comes to not only driving his 11,000 horsepower machine but also managing his Shawn Reed Racing team.
“The competitiveness is the same. I get worked up and amped up, and the will that I have to win and succeed is crazy. That’s what I pride myself on. You know, to me, there’s nobody better. I think I’m pretty dang good,” Reed chuckled.
“But this thing will humble you real quick, right? It takes a lot more in motorsports racing than just the driver. It takes not only the crew chiefs – it’s every single guy has a part in this team, and that’s what I really learned about Top Fuel racing. Every single guy is important.”
Looking ahead to the 2025 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing season, Reed has ambitious goals.
“We want to win the thing,” Reed answered. “I want to be the oldest guy to ever win one. I’m probably the oldest guy that ever stepped up and bought a complete team, all brand-new parts and pieces. We slid into the top ten last year, and you know we got a dang good car, and it takes a little bit of luck to win one of these things. I think everybody that wins on Sunday can look back at a round and go, wow, I probably shouldn’t have won that round. The breaks need to come your way, and if they do, we can win the whole thing.
“Realistically, I want to be in the top five. My goal after last year is probably the same as right now. When we roll into Vegas for the last two races of the year, I want to be talked about as one of the cars that could win the thing. Whether that’s from in the lead or whether that’s just enough points back to where I got to win the race to win the championship. I love that kind of pressure, and I’ve always done pretty good with that,” Reed added.
As he prepares to race in Phoenix, Reed is eager to add another milestone to his career while welcoming one of his new partners, ATRO Parts, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty polyurethane truck parts. ATRO joins the team as an associate-level sponsor, kicking off a four-race agreement that will see Reed fly the ATRO logo on the side of his 11,000-horsepower machine starting with this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix.
“I want to be the only guy to win on water and land here in Phoenix,” Reed stated confidently.
With a rich history at Firebird Motorsports Park, he’s determined to bring the same level of dominance from the water to the track and etch his name in history once again.
The post Shawn Reed Looks to Conquer Firebird Motorsports Park on Asphalt After Dominating on Water first appeared on Drag Illustrated.