Shawn Reed Scores First Top Fuel Win at SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout

BRADENTON, Fla. (February 8, 2025) – Multi-time drag boat champion Shawn Reed raced to victory on Saturday during the SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park to capture his first trophy on asphalt. Reed powered past current and four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown and two-time champ Brittany Force to reach the final round where he laid down an impressive blast of 3.699 seconds at 330.39 mph versus Josh Hart’s 3.724-second effort.

The win was right on track with the steady momentum the Shawn Reed Racing team had been building in the NHRA Mission Foods Series. Reed, who previously enjoyed a standout career on water, made the move into full-time Top Fuel racing in 2024 and spent his rookie season on the NHRA tour chasing win lights as he and his Star Racer Belts/Reed Trucking & Excavating team worked to find their groove. While the first half of the season was slow going, the team saw a sizable uptick in their performance during the latter half of the season, which helped to propel them to a Top 10 finish to close out their rookie year. They were looking to carry their positive momentum into 2025, and after their five-day outing in Bradenton, Fla., feel confident and well-prepared heading into their sophomore season.

“Man, it's incredible,” said Reed following the win. “It’s probably not going to sink in for a while. I'm so happy for my crew, my guys. They put up with a lot last year. I lost a lot of races for them, and now, we did it, we won a race, and no one can take that from us. And, this is a pretty big race, too, by the way, it's the nine best Top Fuel cars in the NHRA, so to say I'm pretty ecstatic is an understatement. Man, Antron Brown, (AB Motorsports crew chief) Brian Corradi, all those guys that helped us get all these parts and pieces to run, I’m so appreciative. We’re a one-car team, kind of working as a two-car team to keep up with the field because the competition is just so stout.

“Red Line Oil, Matco Tools, All-American Automotive, Bradco, Star Racer Belts, I appreciate you all. This kind of took me back to my boat racing days. It’s just awesome, I’m so happy; time to celebrate a little bit.”

Reed’s week in Bradenton began with two days of testing before transitioning into competition mode on Thursday. The Star Racer Belts/Reed Trucking & Excavating team looked solid during qualifying. Crew chief Rob Wendland tuned Reed to three sub-3.75-second runs out of four qualifying attempts. Their strong qualifying performance secured the No. 6 spot in Saturday’s elimination show where Reed was paired up with Brown, his technical alliance partner and the event’s No. 1 qualifier. Reed and Brown were nearly even leaving the starting line with the Star Racer Belts/Reed Trucking & Excavating dragster crossing the finish line ahead of Brown’s tire-smoker. In round two, Reed lined up against another multi-time world champ. Against Force, Reed clocked an impressive 0.054-second reaction time and took his machine to the stripe in 3.768 seconds to score the holeshot victory over his opponent and her 3.752-second effort. The Reed-Wendland duo continued their winning ways in the finals. Reed and Hart left the starting line together but the Reed Trucking & Excavating dragster quickly surged ahead with Reed taking his 11,000-horsepower machine on its best run of the weekend – a 3.699 second pass – to claim the win in their first PRO Superstar Shootout appearance.

With one piece of hardware already under their belt in 2025, the Reed Trucking & Excavating team will head back north to their headquarters near Indianapolis where they will continue with their preparations for the upcoming NHRA Mission Foods Series season. Reed will attempt to win his first NHRA Wally trophy when the 2025 season opens with NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 7 – 9.

Qualified: No. 6 (3.714 E.T. at 317.05 MPH

Elimination Round Results:

E1: 3.785 E.T. at 326.24 mph defeated Antron Brown 4.769 E.T. at 155.58 MPH

E2: 3.768 E.T. at 320.66 mph defeated Brittany Force 3.752 E.T. at 327.51 mph

E3: 3.699 E.T. at 330.39 MPH defeated Josh Hart 3.724 E.T. at 321.27 MPH