NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Justin “Big Chief” Shearer, star of the reality TV show Street Outlaws, made his official NHRA debut during the first qualifying session of the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.

Shearer’s ’68 Firebird, running a turbocharged 455-based iron Pontiac engine in a class in which billet Hemi-powered behemoths rule, recorded an early-shutoff 7.12 at 160.27 mph that placed him in the No. 23 spot after the first of four qualifying sessions. The run was later disqualified for a fuel infraction,

Before Shearer’s debut, he met with the media in the famed Parks Tower to discuss his goals and plans and how his lifelong dream to become a professional drag racer and run at the biggest drag race on Earth became reality.

“Being good at something most people frown upon has evolved, and before you know it, you’re seeing your dream of being a professional drag racer right in front of you,” he reflected. “Then you’re at the U.S. Nationals with a 30-foot piece-of-crap trailer and a truck with 260,000 miles on it. Sometimes I think I’m in the wrong place, and then I wake up, and I know I’m supposed to be here.

“When I pulled in, I couldn’t believe how many cars are at this race, which just shows you how many people want to be at this race and work their whole life to be at this race. This is the biggest, most prestigious drag race; it’s hallowed ground.”

Shearer had to spend a lot of time and money to upgrade safety components on his car, including a $16,000 upgrade to carbon-fiber brakes, but he quickly admitted that when his parachute failed to blossom on his first 200-mph quarter-mile pass last weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park, he was grateful for the rules. “They were worth every penny,” he said. “It’s all going to all be worth it when I let off the button to go down this racetrack.”

Shearer, whose best run in licensing so far has been 6.42 at 223 mph, has no allusions of being able to run with the top cars in the series, some of which are running the equivalent of Top Alcohol Funny Car engines in their cars while he’s making do with a factory-based cast-iron 455 with cast cylinder heads and an Edelbrock Performer manifold and cylinder heads.

“You could fit two of my engines inside one of theirs,” he joked. “I look pretty goofy with this little bitty motor, but I have to abide by the same rules as them because it’s not their fault I have a crappy motor. I had a lot of Super Stock guys come over and tell me that my engine is more stock than theirs. It’s worked really well for me before, but coming into this arena, I’m realizing that I’m behind the eight ball as far as horsepower goes."

Asked about how he manages his “outlaw” persona with his entrée into professional drag racing, Shearer explained, “I still wear the clothes, I still wear the goofy socks, I still carry a bandana in my pocket, I still have tattoos. I can’t flip the image switch, but I can be respectful. I understand when things mean something, and I understand passion, and I’m very respectful of people who have passion, and I’m respectful for the people here who have the passion."

Shearer has aspirations of going full-time Pro Mod racing and is looking for partners that will enable him to run a full season in 2017.

“I’ve had a lot of offers to drive really nice cars, and I’ve had a lot of really good offers to get really nice engines, but I’m being very careful because I need to choose a like-minded person,” he said. “I’m being very careful because I want this to go the right way.

“But I’m at the U.S. Nationals with my motor, my car, my truck, my trailer; I tune it, I build it, I drive it. That is so cool. Everyone has a story of their first U.S. Nationals, and now 20, 30, or 40 years later if I’m still here, I’ll have mine.”