Tony Stewart might have already been under fire after the Eldora Speedway chaos at the Kings Royale. This was after Kyle Larson’s brother-in-law, Brad Sweet’s terrifying crash, sparked a wave of outrage. The incident had led to pointed criticism from Kasey Kahne’s partner, Amy Long, who had publicly demanded urgent actions to address safety concerns at the Tony Stewart-owned racetrack.
But recently, Stewart’s attention was pulled elsewhere entirely. Over in the NHRA world, a harrowing Top Fuel incident left one driver seriously injured and a fan narrowly escaping worse, dragging the motorsports community into yet another difficult safety reckoning.
Tony Stewart reflects on a terrible crash
Saturday afternoon at Pacific Raceways was supposed to be business as usual until Shawn Reed’s Top Fuel dragster detonated into chaos at nearly 290 mph during his qualifying session. One moment, he was thundering down the street; the next, catastrophic right rear tire failure sent the car spiraling across lanes. As the car slammed nose-first into the opposite wall, then ricocheted back into his lane, it came apart violently, flinging pieces of carbon fiber and metal in every direction.
Reed’s injuries weren’t superficial. Transported to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, the veteran driver was left with two broken ribs and several injuries to his left hand. According to the team, he lost his left point of finger and underwent surgery to have a pin placed in his thumb. It was a kind of injury that doesn’t just sideline a season; it leaves scars long after the engine’s quiet.
In the back of the rack, Tony Stewart, a man already in the spotlight for safety issues at Eldora, took a moment to speak out. Taking to X, he posted, “First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with @shawnreed_tf after his wild ride yesterday. Moments like that remind all of us how intense and unpredictable this sport can be — and just how much respect every driver out here deserves.”
First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with @shawnreed_tf after his wild ride yesterday. Moments like that remind all of us how intense and unpredictable this sport can be — and just how much respect every driver out here deserves.
We ended Saturday qualifying 5th with… pic.twitter.com/d44AkS8A1d
— Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) July 20, 2025
But Reed wasn’t the only one hurt that day. Amid the wreckage, debris flew into the spectator zone, striking a woman standing beside her family’s motorhome. The impact prompted an immediate medical response. She was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center with fears of a serious head injury but was later released around 2 am with only stitches and a severe headache. Still, it sent shockwaves through the community. She wasn’t just a spectator; she was part of the Pacific Raceways community, and this incident rattled everyone.
Track president Jason Fiorito couldn’t help but speak on the issue. He said, “This pulls on my heartstrings. The safety of our fans is paramount. It’s an unusual incident. Parts don’t usually fly around.” Moreover, he assured that he and his staff would “analyze everything” and see what measures the track might be able to implement to make it even safer.
As the dust settles from the brutal weekend, motorsport as a whole seems to be facing its most uncomfortable mirror. Whether it’s NHRA drag racing or sprint cars on dirt, the incidents at Pacific Raceways and Eldora have ignited an urgent conversation about what safety looks like in 2025.
Tony Stewart’s NHRA Top Fuel dominance comes to an end
Shawn Langdon delivered a commanding performance at the NHRA Northwest nationals on Sunday, powering past Brittany Force in the final round to take the Top Fuel victory and overtake Tony Stewart atop the standings. Driving the Kalitta Air Careers dragster, Langdon laid down a blistering 3.662-second pass at 337.07 mph, securing his third win of the 2025 season and the 22nd of his career. The win marked his first-ever triumph at Pacific Raceways and came at a pivotal moment in the championship hunt.
Brittany Force may not have taken home the Wally, but her semi-final performance etched her name into the history books. Her run of 341.85 mph was the fastest in NHRA history, coming just two rounds after Doug Kalitta set the track ET record at 3.628 seconds. Force advanced through Ida Zetterstrom, Antron Brown, and Kalitta to reach a second final of the year and 39th of a career. But in the decisive round, smoke ended her hopes early, as Langdon put down his third consecutive 3.60s run of the day to seal the deal.
It wasn’t easy for Langdon, who had to eliminate Cam Ferre and then point rival Tony Stewart earlier in the day, to even reach the finals. But every round, his Kalitta machine looks sharp and unshakeable. Langdon, with a smile, said, “The guys did a fantastic job. They gave me a great race car. It’s awesome coming to tracks like this up here, when you have a great surface coupled with great air, that’s what you’re going to see. We knew the expectation for today of what we wanted to do, what we wanted to accomplish. From here on out, it’s just about doing the same thing, just keep doing the same thing, keep making great runs.”
While others might feel the pressure mounting, as Langdon seems dialed in on consistency. With Kalitta Motorsports humming and Langdon locked into rhythm, the rest of the top fuel field will have their hands full trying to catch up.
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