Justin “Big Chief” Shearer, of Discovery Channel’s “Street Outlaws,” unveiled his new car today–a white 1968 Pontiac Firebird-themed Pro Mod–during an event at the WELD Booth at the 2015 PRI Show in Indianapolis. Keeping in the Pontiac family the car Dubbed “Crowmod,” is a Pontiac Firebird that replaces Big Chief’s beloved 1972 Pontiac LeMans, known as “The Crow,” which was famously wrecked during filming of the show Nov. 14.
“I want to thank WELD for hosting my big event today,” said Shearer. He told the PRI audience that his new car will sport WELD Racing V series on the front and WELD Racing Delta-1’s on the rears, “because they are the highest quality, most durable, lightest and best looking forged wheels…period!”
Shearer said he chose the 1968 Pontiac Firebird Pro Mod because he could modify it with the same 482ci Butler Performance Pontiac engine that he had on the original Crow, but eliminate the heavyweight construction to make it a lighter and faster car.
“You have to give up a lot to stay competitive. Every city is playing by zero rules to outrun me, and I’m tired of playing by the rules and getting outrun by Pro Mods,” explained Shearer. “I couldn’t build another Crow that takes two years and weighs 3,200 lbs. It just didn’t make sense.”
Though happy to unveil Crowmod at PRI, Shearer will always remember the original “Crow” “because it was my first car that I got when I was 16.” The 1972 Pontiac LeMans included a lot of “firsts” for Shearer. “I took my wife on our first date in it,” he fondly remembered.
In addition to the car unveiling, “The Chief and Shawn Show” podcast will originate live Saturday, Dec. 12, at 1 p.m. from the WELD PRI Booth. The show is co-hosted by Big Chief and his partner at Midwest Street Cars, Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington.
Sucks he had to go Pro Mod to keep up with Kie Kelly… so now it will be Pro Mod vs Pro Mod. Can’t claim fastest street car anymore.. maybe fastest Pro Mod ran on the street.
In some ways I agree with your comments that “Can’t claim fastest street car anymore.. maybe fastest Pro Mod”. But lets face reality here, every one of those cars are trailered there. I could be wrong, but Farm Truck is the only one I’ve seen actually driving/fishing down the streets with a couple dudes and a dog enjoying the cruz!
Truth is when you are racing on the street for money ! The old saying is run what you Brong and hope it’s a nough , it’s not always the car it has a lot to do with the ego of the driver also, there’s always going to be somebody faster somewhere
I honestly think there is actual street cars out there smoking cars like the Shocker and Crow Mod. They just do it for glory not to be on TV.
That is total truth, all of them are trailer queens but Dung Beetle and Farm Truck
Shane and “Bob” do have a street legal car they actually drive to their local track. I believe it’s only 15 miles from their house though.
He didnt have to go that route, he chose to. He also is getting free parts from sponsors hince his appearance with Weld. He could have looked around for a little, lightweight rwd pontiac and slapped fiberglass front end, trunk lid and doors on it and destroyed Kye. I honestly think he is nervous Dave will find a permanet home for Goliath’s guts and will be king once again,
Must be nice …. Trash a car on Nov.14th and by Dec.10th have a brand new pro mod ! Wounded who’s paid for it ? Or did chief have 150,000.00 just laying around……just sayin
WGAF where he got the money? Not your business.
I absolutely Agree that it is going to destroy the entire reason and theme of the show when they are allowing PROMODS on a show called Street Outlaws. How can you be the fastest street cars when you don’t even use a REAL car!! Poor decision and selling out to call yourself the fastest! Dex
My local track had a DoorSlammer Night before it closed for remodel. Some of the fastest around, and I think cheif even did, for a $32,000 pot (1,000 entry per car) UNTIL ProMods began coming and even ProStocks. Now they are lucky if 16 people show up. People wanting that edge so much they gotta cross that invisible and kills what its all about ruins a lot of good things.
That’s exactly what will happen here. They will be so far from street it will be like farm truck racing a top fuel car. No one will want to be on the show getting smoked by a $200k car that is just a race car.
They are funny cars with a few street features. The fastest real street cars were the last round of cars at Hot Rod Drag week, ie…Larry Larson’s Nova and Lutz original 57 chevy.
Based on other reality TV, I am sure he makes $10k-$20K per episode. Hard to appear poor on the show when you bank $200K-$300K year in your TV job.
No, they aint close to funny cars and you’re comparing apples and oranges in your analogy. Oh, you have no clue about the money either, just as I don’t!
We have to agree to disagree. Pro mods are as close to street cars as funny cars, not close. As for the money, I do know what reality stars are paid, First hand !
🙂
Cheif never claimed to be poor. He is half owner of Midwest Street Cars, a shop known in OK & TX for cranking out some of the baddest cars on the street.
Chief and MurderNova own one of the most successful shops in OKC. Fact is, if he didn’t plan on going this route before hand, why isn’t the crow mod the crow 2.0 instead? DaddyDave didn’t go that route. Fact is, everything they are doing at the moment is gonna kill their fan base. Chuck gone big tire, boosted is building a new ride, dominator went BBC 632 Twin Turbo. Rumor has it Kye is going with a 70 Chevrolet Chevelle SS with 2 kits and a roots blower. This version of “street racing” is financially exceeding the wallets of those street racing got it’s fame and glory from. Your average guy cannot afford a $75,000 chassis and a $44,000 engine for it. Most street racers around here houses cost less than that.
Fact of the matter is, the reason for the Street Outlaw name is they are not street legal cars. Someone actually thinks a car with drag headers exiting the fender is legal? DOT says all exausts must exit behind rear most door. And that is just one thing. The Crow was a Outlaw 10.5 car Chief eventually tubbed to take huge slicks, not a street ride. FarmTruck & Azn are the only street legal guys. Thats why they claim “FASTEST STREET RACE CARS IN NATION” not “FASTEST STREET LEGAL RACE CARS IN NATION”. Rumor has it Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage may be working with a Dallas local to put a car in the mix too. Cheif does have that kind of cash, he own probably the most famous hot rod shop in OK and definitly most sucussful in OKC. Fact of the matter is, Shawn has the most horsepower than all of them by over 1400 more than rest and 788 than cheif. I personally wanna see Dave back in it with that Vette he drove at cash days.
You have some facts mixed up my friend. While yes there cars won’t pass an inspection most states don’t have inspections on old cars. And on the show they actually make fun of PROMOD racers but now it’s all ok. Money is not the problem, it’s using extended wheel base carbon fiber bodied full track cars and then Saying they have the fastest STREET cars in the nation. Outlaw 10.5 cars are based off real cars that are modified and that IS a street car.
I agree ProMods are basically cheating, but there is no set rules. A quick DOT search will show you all cars (In almost all 48 contintal) quipped with mufflers must run them. EPA law against sound pollution. You, by definition are eliminating almost all replica cars like the Cobras and Dueces made nowadays. I got a 33 Ford coupe with a secret hp level setup done by TRE and I drive it all weekend every sunny weekend and even by my book, its a street car.
But you just said it. Those are replica cars of correct dimension. And in Chiefs statement he says himself that he did this because others were not following the rules….? So there is kind of an unspoken rule of at least using a somewhat real car. If it continues like this then john force would be allowed to run and then now one will be able to relate to the show. And now people can run with these guys but not if they all go PROMOD. I have two 10.5 outlaw cars and drive them on the street because they are real cars. Can you imagine if people start driving PROMODS around??? It’s just going to far when it’s not necessary. Daddy Dave could have went that route but chose to build with a real car.
I agree totally. My car runs 4.9s in 8th without bottle because it is a tube chassis glass and carbon recreation. I do know however one good wreck and I am dead. I got 60,000 total in mine, a promod has a engine that alone costs that or more. Its taking away from the average guy the ability to run with them. The 3200 lb crow was only getting whipped by Kye, and not by much. I truly think him and Shawn maybe parting as friends over this because Shawn has stated many times how he feels about promods in street racing. Is Cheif selling out? Imma say yes. He could go with a much lighter car like dave did and destroy Kye, instead he is copying him. I truly think if he and dave didnt have steel bodied cars in their wrecks they wouldnt have lived. Drag strips have built in safety features to prevent deaths as much as possible in wrecks, streets are not setup for it. If I ever stepped down cars like I am wanting to do to get back to my roots in racing I would dang near give Dave my car to prove he is still the best, but he doesnt sell out and only runs steel bodied cars.
I honestly think money is the problem. Kye has at least 125k in his ride, the CrowMod is at least 150k, Dominator just switched to a motor that alone is at least 50k. This isn’t true street racing anymore. They need to drop a video game on market ASAP while people still love the shows and before they see it has become pro drag cars raced on a street that is set up identical to a drag strip with the exception of no tree and no score boards.
Fed epa/dot law is. If a car came stock with a muffler it has to have one to be street driven. Same with converters and smog pumps. However, most State DOTs have decided anything over a certain age (24 years old in Texas) will cost/pollute more to keeping the equipment than it helps (as a TX DOT inspector told me).
The name of the show is Street Outlaws, not Street Rods…with “outlaws”, there are no rules about weight, c.i., hp, tires, fuel and body…just race on a street of some kind. IOW, anything goes. The show is entertaining and pretty exciting for a “reality show” and I can’t wait for the new season so start.
Someone else below made a comment wondering how Chief paid for, and built, this new car in just a month which sounded like a pretty jealous comment to me. Besides, who’s business is it besides the Chief’s how or who paid for it. Go Chief, great show and looking forward to you competing and possibly beating Kie Kelly.
Kye is far from unbeatable. He has lost to John Doe twice I know of, BirdMan Jones and another I cannot remember. Chief co owns a HIGHLY successful speed shop that only got more successful with airing of the show. I am sure that had something to do with the car.
I’m fully aware that Kye Kelly is beatable. You also failed to mention his losses to Doc too.
I’m also aware of Chief’s business.
All I am saying is basically, I get fed up with people acting like Kye is unbeatable and his claim to “fastest street race car (and street racer) on the planet” pisses me off as I know it is a huuuuge lie. Their are some guys in Aussie Land running 1/8 miles in mid 3s on street. I didn’t believe it when a friend from Australia told me until he took me to some underground races on a visit there. Also get a kick out of how Kye only wants his flagger to call the races and doesn’t inform anyone of these rules they come up with until he loses. You can tell by the way he talks and carries himself (especially in confrontation) he is no team leader. He is nervous half the time. Me and some boys I know been working on a car to show him and most of the big names up but with local track selling out to Rich Christianson from pinks as the site for the Pinks All Out he is trying to bring back even after he had stolen tons of money from racers and tracks doing the show before. (track is permanently closed to outside races unless Rich okays it at a 78% cut off it all) We have no where to test it and people keep changing ideas and funds keep running short (along with people demanding refund of investment and splitting ways). No mistake about it, $55,000 invested so far and all We got is a 1,000lb rolling chassis. (Orginal plan is 83 RX7 with triple turbo 454″ LS)
Duh!…so sensitive and no need to take it out on me. I never said Kelly isn’t beatable. Chief has yet to beat him and I’m looking forward to that happening. That’s all.
Chill dude!
I apologize. I have also heard rumors though, since the crowmod has hit track Kye got scared at the times its laying down and went out and built a whole new car, Chevelle this time and from what I understand its all glass and lexan to hang with chief.
I’m a big fan of the Crow and Chief and can hardly wait for their new season to start. The NOLA SO show is pretty rag tag in comparison.
Well the good news is not only did they renew Street Outlaws for another season, but went ahead and signed them for 2 more. All while not even discussing a second season of NoLa version. It is rumored Discovery is reviewing tons of heat for Kye claiming fastest car on planet when in fact the guys “down under” run whole lot faster (low 3s) and some even drive car home. Mix that with all the negative response from viewers because of the fact none of the NoLa guys live in Louisiana and have HIGHLY expensive cars in contrast to most of OKC cars.
Also: Note how they now have a beater running on tons of nitrous that in a lot of way seems a lot like a spin off of FarmTruck?
IMO That’s what “reality tv’ spawns…a lot of cheap talk and low brow imitatiors. They all have to play it up for the cameras…but NOLA is all about Kelly..the fact is is that ragged bunch of wannabe 405 imitatiors can’t measure up to the quality of the Oklahoma boys…and with just a couple of exceptions, they are a pretty selfish bunch of individuals who lack the “team concept” spirit.
Big chief , I have loved this sport for 45 years , I think that what you guys have done in the past couple of years has exemplified what it used to be how it really was just remember if they’re biting at your ass it’s only because they’re behind you keep going I think it’s great take everything that they give you .
I agree completely. I remember my younger days in my old 2 dr hardtop rocket powered olds racing on tarred back roads for gas money. The sport has evolved and became safer. Street Outlaws style racing includes “chartering” a road. This means getting a permit to close the road for a certian amount of hours for this purpose. They also have medics and often fire personel on location. Is it the same street racing from when many of us were kids, no. Is it better and safer (as well as hella faster) gawd yes.For those who dont know Kye Kelly has a spin off called Street Outlaws Bayou coming Feb 22.
First, let’s all remember this is scripted reality TV. Street Outlaws is not a true drama or sitcom, nor is it a documentary…but something in the middle. That said, if you want organized, sactioned drag racing then you have a number of choices, e.g., IHRA, NHRA to watch.
Street Outlaws’ past, present and future success is based on a couple factors; interesting personalities and good storylines, mixed in with an assortment of some very fast cars (notice I didn’t say street cars).
The vairious personalities that have developed over the seasons such as….Azen and Farm truck who are as nutty as they come, Jason “Big Chief” the calm voice of reason, Doc the “Butthole”, Chuck who will spit and sucker punch you in a NY sec, the confident “Daddy Dave”, Monza the “Clint Eastwood, and Derek with his sleeve cutting antics…well you get the idea. Think about it, these are familiar characters that can be found on many successful TV shows.
Whether they race Pro-Mods, Imports or Street Rods, who cares…it’s a TV show designed to entertain and that it has done in spades.
BTW: It’s no one’s business how Justin paid for his new car, no more than it’s no one’s business how racers pay for their cars across the country. Go to NY, GA or MD and ask a racer how the hell they could afford to pay for their $150K race car, trailer and rig.. If you do, I just hope your will is up to date.
I’m looking forward to the next season of Street Outlaws, and just maybe there will be someone crazy enough to bring the first “Street Jet-Car” on the show.
My favorite scene was Farm Truck with a Jon Boat in tow racing a Turbo 911…OMG!! I laughed my butt off.. Great Entertainment…indeed!!!
If someone is willing to form “A Team” with me and pitch in on costs, we can get a nice Rick Jones chassis, slap a nitromethane big block in it and dominate them all. We can even come up with cool nicknames like Lucifer & Baal.
I know where I can get my hands on a helicopter jet engine… How about “Lucifer and Burner”!!!
We need a jr dragster to stick it in so we know we the lightest. 400Mph in a 8th, 2.2sec my guess
Agreed, but only if you let me strap you in this Jr Spacecraft…and you show me as the sole beneficiary for a $10mil insurance policy I take out on you. I’ll coordinate with the FAA, NASA and USAF. Your new Nickname is….”BLAZE” HA!!!!
WELLLL in second thought, maybe something a bit heaver is called for. I really like bringing the proverbial nuke to a verbal arguement. I would totally volunteer a S10 for this project and pilot it if anyone else wants to get in on project “Bad Idea”. A truck seems like best bet as you can mount jet engine in bed
I found a 94 S10 “BLAZER” on Craigslist….already painted with flames. All we need now is $250K…and a couple of cases of Old Milwaukee, Pabst Blue Ribbon and some Jack D to get started. I got this Blaze…
I dont drink but I slam energy drinks, gonna need a couple cases of em to be caffiene rushing so hard it will seem its a 50mph ride down the road. If yall serious I will shoot ya my email and I will holler at a few custom car shops and see what kind of funding we can get. If Chief and Kye can run promods with no questioning, we should be allowed to run this.
Well, let me get in contact with few shops, laid down the challenge to 405 already. Told them I am Texan so they probably will accept challenge lol.
Back in the days I raced on the street, after a close call I saw the light, get off the street, these fools are only giving ideas to young fools that will only find out the hard way that street racing is aganist the law. I love racing, but I only go to tracks now. They seem to think that a flash lite for a Christmas tree gives them the edge. Get on the track, run with the rest of us. I like some of the guys on the show, I just don’t like the message it sends our younger generation, the disclaimer on the beginning of the show is hardly a just one. They still break the law, it about like filming a bank robbery.
Media can and does have a negative impression on kids, teenagers and above. But, let’s face it…when I was 16 (now 56), I was wrenching on a 69 GTO and working at a Whataburger to keep gas in it and spending every dime I made. Racing anything and anyone that I could…when I wasn’t chasing girls.
Generally speaking, today’s youth seem that they cannot go a minute without texting, Tweeting, Facebooking, or spending their time online playing video games. The video games Mommy and Daddy paid for.
From my anecdotal viewpoint I don’t see a huge movement of youth racing on the streets iresponsibility. I believe The Fast and Furious franchise would have been a bigger influence than this TV Show.. When I do go to the track, I see a large number of kids at Maryland International Raceway (MIR), doing as you suggest…with their Dad, Mom or adult figure coaching them..
Actually they don’t show the fact Discovery has secured renting the road just for the show and basically has a full on race staffing on hand. Really think they could run a 32 car Cash Days without police response? Definitely gives the young ones bad ideas.
I will agree the show may be intertaning BUT. I can not stand the fact that the show is based on So called street racing. This is Not steer racing. It is fill blown race cars that the are racing on a so called street. Real street racing is fully legal and drivable car that you can drive anywhere anytime and race at any givin time. I have raced for many years on the street and have seen some very fast REAL street Cars. If you can’t drive your car to the local hang out or on a date and you have to trailer it everywhere you go! Then you don’t need to be on the street Go to the track where you belong!!!!
Amen
They have drag week now. 1,000 miles, 4 tracks, all that is allowed is a tiny support trailer you have to pull with the car you are racing. No outside help vehicle is allowed. Think Hot Rod mag puts its on. Hoping to get a 85 thunderbird finished for next year’s.
Concur with you 100%. It’s not true street racing…but you have to admit, it’s a quirky, at times bizare, very interesting and balls to the wall racing TV show. Again, not true street racing. If it was, I’m afraid I’d be bored to tears… You can see plenty of true street racing on YouTube. After 5 mins of watching that…it’s time to watch a cat playing a piano. Ha!!! This show really is about the flawed characters and their misfit buddies…otherwise, it would have never made it past the first show. What other show even comes close?
If you remember the episode Kansas (I Think) pulled a track prep rig out of a trailer and prepped their lane for a pro mod? The owner of the car has a YouTube video up where he calls out the whole show for renting the road, closing it, sitting up lighting, medics and fire trucks on site etc AND PREPPING THE ROAD BEFORE CAMERAS ROLL! Not one guy from show or Discovery called BS.
I like to watch this Reality Show. There is nothing wrong if you want to trailer your car the the place they race or drive it… I would want to drive my 200,000 dollar car to a race 2,03,4 hudred miles to a streetrace. Would anybody with that much money in a car? Also I think Big Chief and anyone else on that show desreves every penny he or she may get from the discovery channel for putting on this show for us dragracers who love watching it…He just lost his 200,000 dolar car.. I don`t think he will break even for anytime soon.As for his car being close to a promod car… Look at what his competion is bringing Hurray for him….Goooo Street OutlawsI`m all for ya!
That’s just it! If you have a $200k car and can’t drive it on the street. And have to trailer it! It is a Race Car for the track! Period. NOT a street Car! The GT 40, Lambo, Ferrari and Others are more money but are street cars. If it is a Promod then trailer it to your nearest NHRA TRACK and film that! But it’s not Street racing!
It’s not street racing…it’s scripted TV…it’s designed to suck you in as a viewer and keep you coming back. Do you really think Chuck would be walking after spitting on another racer. Not in my circles…but it makes for good TV. I caught on after the first show…it’s not street racing, but I watch it anyways and love the flawed characters…I do miss the old man with the gold mustang and his sons. That dude was always ready to rumble…and tumble. (LOL). The guys have a good thing going, and Discovery has a hit show. Yep, not street racing…but I don’t care. Bring on the bafoonery, crazy and whacked out characters. Besides those Pro-Mods were huge jokes compared to what comes to MIR in MD. But it’s ok, because 95% people who watch the show probably never seen a “real” low 6 second Pro-Mod.
All of it’s a fucking joke the cars joke the show was a joke anyone thinks it’s reality sadly mistaken it promotes illegal racing. Any company that goes near this I won’t buy from. It puts a bad light on any of us that happen to do this that go out in the middle of nowhere at 3 o’clock in the morning and stay away from everything and everybody when are showing some stupid clown in a 200 hp Volkswagen driving on city streets acting like he’s racing some top end cars. Either the discovery channel is buying these idiots their cars or it’s drug money either way it’s a joke
Yeah, see that crushed Pontiac in that pile over there? Used to be the fastest car in the valley………………
Well maybe so, but not when Bad Ass “Bayou Boy” Kye Kelly was in town…that is one fast Crawdad!!!! Maybe Crow II will revenge it’s dead brother’s honor! I feel a grudge race in the near future…stay tuned.
Kye actually lives about 3+ hrs from the border of Mississippi and Louisiana so he technically isn’t a bayou boy.
whats your point?
OK, I agree I do like the guys on the show. But! Let’s change the name of the show to Pro-Mod Race Car Outlaws on the Street. And give Farm truck and AZN the REAL STREET outlaw Show. Since they actualy DRIVE their cars on the street!
I think they need a new spin off already (hate SO:NoLa) called True Street Outlaws. Make it a rule: If you cannot drive the car to the race, you cannot race. That’s how Drag Week is. Look at the caliber of guys who runs it. 5.5-6.1 cars making a 1,000 mile trip to 4 different tracks 250 miles apart. The run, hook the car they are racing back up to their tiny U-Haul size support trailer and pull it to next track.
It’s really sad, I am one of Street Outlaws biggest fans, yes being nearly 60 years old the show has really brought out the kid in me and the racing I did in my old chevy beater “with a Corvette engine”, I lost some, won most but more than anything else I had fun…but a Pro Mod, please, I am sorry to say to you, Sir, you have ruined the show.
They would not have this Pro Mod problem if they had just not allowed them in the show. Stick to what started the show with street cars and no full chassis cars. None of us want to see these guys die racing.
crowbird and judge….lousy names for a Pontiac….
Yeah man all I have to say is I loved the show. But I’m not sure if I will watch it anymore it was street racing with bad ass street cars not tube chasis drag strip cars. I understand some people are bringing pro mods and they shouldn’t be aloud to race. The Crow was fast azz car kye Kelly may have beat it but look what it took him to do it in. Pro mods shouldn’t be on the street come on wtf. Cheif you shouldn’t of sold out. PS glad your ok and hope all the street outlaws crew and all racers out there have a merry Christmas.
Brian
I agree and disagree. All the cars were pro stock at best. All fiberglass but body shell and tubes chassis. BUT that’s the kind of cars running illegal street races. Kye has a fiberglass (fully) Top Sportsman car. At least with steel body you can walk away like DaddyDave and Chief did in the wrecks, in a promod, not so sure they could shake it off as easy.
I have always liked the show but it twisted way off track. Pro Mods are not street cars. I hope Justin decides to brig the show back to what it was meant to be…. Street Racing ! !
If it’s going to be a Pro Mod show it should run along the lines of how ‘PINKS’ came across. Race at the track where the 200+ MPH cars belong….. Just my opinion !
The high dollar cars that Pinks began only using is what killed it as well.