BREAKING: Pro stock motorcycle racer is reportedly set to make his NHRA drag racing debut
Cory Reed, a lifelong motorcross and Pro Stock Motorcycle racer, is shifting his career path.
Reed revealed to CompetitionPlus.com that he recently got his NHRA Pro Stock driver’s license and plans to make his debut in the class at either the Northwest Nationals, July 19-21 in Seattle, or the Denso Sonoma (Calif.) Nationals, July 26–28.
“My dad (Jim Whitely) is part owner of KB (Titan Racing, based in Mooresville, N.C.) and this is just a natural progression,” Reed joked. “It was time to move on to something else.”
Reed stated that he obtained his Pro Stock license a few weeks ago at Rockingham Dragway.
“I think I made 16 (runs) in two days,” Reed remarked. “I had never driven a door automobile (before to receiving this license). That was nice. It was far more relaxing than a motorcycle. The burnout is quite difficult. You get used to using new areas of your body, and overall it was enjoyable.”
Reed drove a KB Titan Racing Camaro throughout his licensing runs.
“The fastest I went is when the slip said I went 6.59 seconds to 1,000 feet,” according to Reed. “Nothing truly surprised me. I went into this with a blank mind, and it was enjoyable. It’s wonderful to have fresh experiences in life. I knew I didn’t know what I was doing, so I went in without overthinking it because I didn’t know what to anticipate.”
Reed expects to race Pro Stock soon after receiving his license.
“I think in the next couple of races we will be out there,” Reed told reporters. “I think these guys (at KB Titan Racing) work their butts hard, so I’m sure they’ll be testing again soon. They are workaholics who enjoy testing, so I will take advantage of any additional opportunities to drive. If not, I’ll be racing in either Seattle or Sonoma. After one of those races, we will most likely finish the season (in Pro Stock).”
Reed stated that assembling his Pro Stock motorbike parts is not currently in the plans.
“We are not really working on that stuff anymore and we have a bunch of other stuff going on in the background of our lives,” Reed joked. “It is time for a change.”
Reed stated that fellow Pro Stock racer and best friend Joey Gladstone will be collaborating with him on his Pro Stock enterprise. Gladstone finished second in the 2022 Pro Stock Motorcycle NHRA world standings, his greatest finish to date.
“I think at first, Joey will be doing the clutch on my Pro Stock car,” Reed shared.
Gladstone is also ready for a new chapter.
“I will probably just do the natural progression and just say ‘Yes’ when they ask me to do something,” Gladstone told the BBC. “I like a challenge.”
Reed made his Pro Stock Motorcycle debut in the fall of 2015 for George and Jackie Bryce’s Star Racing outfit.
Reed competed in more than 60 PSM events during his career. He raced 11 times in 2021 before being involved in a terrible collision in the second round of Charlotte’s fall race. He crashed into his teammate Gladstone’s motorcycle after crossing the finish line, injuring his leg.
“I imagined myself driving something one of everything my family owns eventually, not Pro Stock car though because the Pro Stock car thing came on so quickly into the family,” Reed told me. “This is a small reset, refresh. The motorbike stuff has become stale. I was eager to do something different, and my wife and mother are pleased that I got off a motorcycle. It was time to move on and mature.”
