PHOTOS: NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER

two brothers Junior Dragsters and that’ s

drag racing Jr. Dragsters when I was eight like a lot of people out there,” Reed said.“ My dad [ Pro Mod racer Jim Whiteley ] bought me and my

what we did every weekend at the local racetracks.”

The Grand Junction, Colorado-native reminisced about how they would drive an hour and a half one way so he and his brothers could race. Additionally, Jim would race a 1969 Camaro in Super Pro and his mom [ Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Annie Whiteley ] would drive a 1969 Camaro Z28 in Pro.

“ When I turned 14, I decided to stop racing Junior Dragsters because I realized they weren’ t going fast enough for me anymore,” he admitted.

Reed transitioned to motocross and eventually advanced to the professional level.

“ We had dirt bikes for one summer when I was ten and it scared the crap out of my mom,” he laughed.“ We did one or two races and she was over it. We sold all the dirt bikes and went back to drag racing but when I got older, I got back on the dirt bikes and raced until I was 21.”

After a handful of very serious injuries racing professionally in motocross, Reed’ s mom pleaded that he hang up his motocross gear and trade it in for some drag racing leathers; that was where Reed was introduced to George Bryce’ s racing school. In 2015, he began his Pro Stock Motorcycle journey on the crew of three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion Angelle Sampey’ s bike learning the ins and outs of NHRA professional drag racing. Reed competed in his first season in the NHRA at the beginning of 2016.

“ I’ ve learned a lot in my first year in Pro Stock Motorcycle,” he said.“ I’ m learning there is a lot of politics in our class but it’ s probably like that in all of the other professional classes too. I feel like I’ ve always been a racer in my mind and now I’ m learning the business side of it too. My rookie season taught me that it’ s not just about being a racer anymore. A lot of it is about business and it has taught me to pay

attention to every aspect of what I have going on at the races.”

In his 2016 rookie season, Reed participated in the full 16-race season. He had 12 round wins during the season which was more round wins than the rest of the rookie of the year candidates

combined; he went on to appear in two semifinals and one final.

“ We definitely struggled for a few races with those DNQ’ s but it also was good to have those moments early in my career,” Reed said.“ I feel like I know what it feels like to DNQ and I know how to deal with it in the future.”

The icing on the cake was when Cory Reed won NHRA’ s Auto Club Road to the Future Rookie of the Year Award during the year-end NHRA Mello Yello Series awards banquet at The Dolby Theater in a room of hundreds of his racing peers.

“ Being the Rookie of the Year this season was awesome,” he added.“ It was our main goal of the year besides winning a race. We didn’ t win a race this season but that’ ll come in time. It’ s nice to have people believe in you and think you’ ll go beyond your first year. There’ s a lot of racers that only last a year or two and then they’ re done. It’ s nice to have people that I don’ t know personally believe in me too.”

Despite a few-year hiatus from the drag racing scene, Reed has proved that his talent on the 1320’ is no fluke. With the support of his family, he knows drag racing is where he’ s meant to be.

“ I’ ve been in drag racing, out of drag racing, and now I’ m back,” Reed said.“ I’ m glad I made the decision to come back to drag racing because I have my whole family out here and I know a lot of people out here that are practically family too. Drag racing is more of a family-oriented thing for us.”

“ To be Rookie of the Year and be nominated for the 30 Under 30 is just awesome,” Reed exclaimed.“ It’ s nice to be recognized and for people to believe you have a good future in the sport. Knowing that helps me with my confidence as a racer and I think I’ m headed in the right direction. It’ s awesome!” – SADIE FLOYD DI

November 2016

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