12 Questions With Jeff Reed

[CPG Marketing]

Name: Jeff Reed
Job Title: TCI® Automotive Race Support/Sales

Jeff Reed works directly with racers powered by TCI® parts. Relying on years of experience and first-hand knowledge, he works one-on-one with his customers, providing the specialized assistance and support they need to build the most reliable and consistent drivetrain combinations possible.

Jeff Reed

What is your background in the industry?

I've been around racing since 1984. I’ve worked at TCI® since 1984 and was the Transmission Production Manager for sixteen years. Just recently, I moved into a new position focusing solely on our hardcore race products and building relationships directly with racers.


What do you like best about the job?

I just like being around drag racing, and I like working on the parts that the racers use. I think it’s the challenge of trying to “out think” the competition.


What is your all-time favorite or dream car?

A 2003 or 2004 Mustang Cobra. I will own one before I die.


Do you have past racing experience? If so what kind, and do you still race?

I’m the crew chief for John Kolivas. We ran NMRA drag radial for five years and won three championships - 2006, 2007 and 2008. I also won NMRA Crew Chief of the Year in 2008. I do race some when I have time. I race the local 275 Drag Radial events and some Outlaw type races with my ‘93 Mustang. It’s setup like an NMRA Drag Radial car – small block Ford with an 85mm turbo.


What is your proudest moment in racing or in the industry?

Being a part of three World Championships and winning the NMRA Crew Chief of the Year award.


Who is your favorite racer and why?

John Kolivas because he gives it 100 percent all of the time.


What is the best career advice you ever received?

Do whatever you’re doing right the first time. Bill Taylor told me that.

Reed Driving His 1993 Mustang

What advice would you give a kid who wants to go grow up to be a racer or work in the industry?

Set some goals in life and follow your dreams. I can remember when I was a kid in school and my friend Sammy Ford gave me a TCI® t-shirt. I said to myself then that I wanted to work at TCI®. In the summer of 1984 I got my dream job, and I’ve been here ever since.


What are your hobbies outside of racing and the industry?

Besides racing, I like to spend time with my grandkids. I have two – Alex is six and Abby is four, and there is another one on the way.


What is your favorite type of music to drive to?

I like country and some 80's rock.


In the next five years, what do you think will be the most important advancement in performance automotive technology?

Electronics. Just look at how FAST™ has changed over the past five years. At first it was only electronic fuel injection. Now they have built-in two and three steps, traction control and who knows what they will have in years to come.


What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?

My cell phone.