PSM RIDER CORY REED MADE SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT U.S. NATIONALS

Written by Tracy Renck, photo by Mike Burghardt    Sat, 2020-09-19 19:00

 

Cory Reed, who runs Reed Motorsports, had been in a staple competitor in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks from 2016 until most of the 2019 season.

However, Reed sat out the final six races of the 2019 season and was a no-show at the first two PSM races in 2020 – Indy 1 and Indy 3. Then, there he was at the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA U.S. Nationals Sept. 3-6 in Indianapolis, making his season debut. Reed was riding an Erik Buell Racing Gen 2 (EBR) motorcycle.

Reed qualified No. 10 with a 6.881-second lap at 195.51 mph and proceeded to upset Hector Arana Jr. in round one before red lighting in the second round against Eddie Krawiec.

“All we changed at (the U.S. Nationals) was valve springs every other run just because we forgot a tool and instead of just guessing on it, we just changed them,” Reed said. (The U.S. Nationals) was the least work we have ever done, and the motor was just happier, happier, and happier. Honestly, after Gainesville (in March, which was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic), we left and we tested in Darlington, S.C. and then we went home unloaded everything and put that bike we brought here (to the U.S. Nationals) in the corner and put a cover over it and left it there.

“Throughout the winter, we did a lot of engine dyno. We figured out our oil system. We figured out a couple of things fueling and stuff like that.”

Reed has a simple plan for the remainder of the season.

“We would really like to do at least one more race this season, if not two especially if we are not hurting parts,” Reed said. “My real plan is to sale all my V-Twin stuff and get Suzukis for next year. We are starting to work at the shop right next to Cecil (Towner, the team’s tuner’s) place. We are starting to finally build a small customer base and with Joey (Gladstone) have been focusing on that, mostly.

“We are doing fabrication, re-conditioning rods, all that type of stuff. The plan is to eventually start building chassis (for motorcycles).”

The Reed Motorsports shop is in Ashland, Va.

Reed said he and Gladstone are planning to run a full Pro Stock Motorcycle season in 2021 riding Suzukis.

“Eventually I want to have four bikes (on the team),” Reed said. “I don’t really know if I’m going to have four Suzukis or two Suzukis and two Buells. The two other bikes I want to have to rent to people and I don’t know whether those will be Suzukis or Buells. Joey and I are riding Suzukis because it is less work for us during the week. At the shop, Reed Motorsports, we are getting a customer base and the whole point of what we are doing is our business. We are going to do the four-valve head deal with Vance & Hines and it just going to be so much less maintenance.”

 

 

 
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