Barry Paton, owner of the Paton Racing Top Fuel Dragster, and Shawn Reed have mutually agreed that Shawn will not be returning for the 2019 season.

“Shawn and I had a brief conversation last evening,” said Barry. “He explained that he wanted to pursue other opportunities and I support his desire to do so. We’ve enjoyed having him drive our car since earning his Top Fuel license back in 2014.”

The team is continuing their work, preparing the car for their 2019 debut at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, where the team posted a runner-up finish last year.

One of the biggest changes will be the switch to the 6-disc clutch that many of the top teams are running. “Bobby and Dom Lagana help us out a bunch, as well as Scott Palmer,” said Todd Paton, Barry’s son. “We run a similar setup to both Dom and Scott’s cars, and hope to see the same performance gains they have experienced by switching to the 6-disc.”

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