There is not a single member of the cast of Street Outlaws, a single member of the fandom of Street Outlaws, or a single member of the legions of haters that the Street Outlaws have acquired that could have predicted one tenth of the things have have happened to the group and the show in 2015. In terms of publicity, it literally does not get any better for the network than it did this year. That’s taking the P.T Barnum, “I don’t care what they say about me so long as they spell my name right,” approach and that seems to be what the strategy has been this year though the clash with NHRA, the multiple wrecked cars, the shooting up of a business, the multiple felonies alleged to have been committed by people who have been around the show, and the normal week to week “stuff” that goes on as part of being a celebrity in the automotive world.

At multiple turns in 2015, many have openly speculated that the show would be dropped from the Discovery network and certainly shows have been dropped from the air for far less salacious reasons than gunfire, nefarious characters, and wreckage but through it all Street Outlaws troops on. Not only troops on, but succeeds mightily. It continues to draw millions of viewers each week and has crossed over to non-car knowledgeable viewers who revel in the machines, the characters, and the clandestine nature of their business. Hardcore gear heads know that there’s lots of “tv magic” happening to set the scene on these shows but they also know that the cars are serious business and as has been proven over the last couple of days and months, the danger is still present even with lights and safety people just out of the shot.

2015 is not over yet and the way things are going, there may be more stuff to put on this list but let’s look back at what this year has looked like for the people on the show, the people around the show, and the people that make the show.

January 9th – 2015 — Rich Ross named new president of Discovery Channel – promises “authenticity”

Many people saw this announcement and thought that the show would be hampered or perhaps have its life shortened because of it. The honest answer is that Street Outlaws is one of the most “real” shows that Discovery has. They were showing some real whack job stuff that wasn’t even close to what was being advertised (man allows himself to be eaten by snake, etc) and Ross came in with the attitude that those things needed to stop. In comparison, Street Outlaws delivers on what the audience is expecting. Hardcore guys know there is TV stuff interfering with the “real” street racing attitude but they are likely the minority of the audience anyway.

LINK: Discovery channel new boss promises authenticity

Feb 17th – 2015 — NHRA sends letters to cast members on the show that have competition licenses

In a move that touched off a firestorm of both criticism and support, the NHRA sent letters to all of the members of the Street Outlaws cast who hold competition licenses with the organization and told them that continued participation would cause those licenses to be revoked, thereby blocking them from running at NHRA sanctioned tracks. There was a loud anti-NHRA reaction to the move that was seen as a large organization coming after “the little guy” and on the other side of the fence there was support from drag racers who believed that the show ran counter to the very core message of NHRA which was to take racing off of the streets and turn it into a organized activity.  This action would seem almost telepathic a few weeks later.

LINK: NHRA sends letters threatening to pull competition licenses of Street Outlaws cast members 

February 28th – 2015  Spectators killed at street race – One of the racers had been on Street Outlaws 

Not even two weeks after NHRA made their stand and contacted cast members about their licenses, disaster struck. At a street race in Chatsworth, California two men sped down a street lined with interested on-lookers. One of those cars lost control and killed two of the spectators. Izzy Valenzuela was the driver of the second car in that street race and although he did not hit anyone, the way the California laws are written, he was also charged with two counts of murder. Valenzuela had appeared on Street Outlaws when the show ventured out to California. With both sides of the street racing debate already spun up, this thing kicked the internet into overdrive. Ultimately two people were dead and others were (and still are as best we know) sitting in prison.

LINK: One driver charged in fatal Chatsworth, California street race had been on Street Outlaws

Jun 20th – 2015 Charlie Buck Racing Engines robbed – Men with ties to Street Outlaws arrested 

It was one of the greatest gearhead hauls ever. Someone broke into Charlie Buck Racing Engines and literally cleaned the place out. They knew where things were, how to get in, and how to get out and they did it almost perfectly. Almost. The theft was estimated at over $500,000 bucks and it left one of the most respected drag racing engine builders in the country with nothing but a lot of questions and then the investigation started. Soon after the authorities began looking into the crime, the suspect list for short and the names Ronnie Dale Pollard and Chris Goodman were on the tip of the gear head world’s tongue. Ronnie Dale Pollard had spent time on the Street Outlaws show.

LINK: Arrest warrants issues in the Charlie Buck Racing Engines theft 

August 1st 2015 – “Daddy Dave” crashes his new Goliath Nova at Amarillo – Hospitalized 

The car was called Goliath and truth be told it is already being replaced but before Dave Comstock had much time to get acclimated to the confines of his new car, he lost it in a terrible crash during a no-prep race at Amarillo Dragway in Texas. The video of the crash got immense attention on the internet as there were literally millions of people following the build of the car via social media. Comstock spent some time in the hospital recovering from injuries sustained in the wreck and has since gotten out of the hospital and is working to replace the car with something better. We stress the better part because when you watch this video you will see things fail that NEVER should in a race car of any stripe.

VIDEO LINK: “Daddy Dave” Comstock suffers massive crash at Amarillo, Goliath destroyed

September 28th – Someone shot up the Midwest Street Cars Shop While It Was Closed 

In what is honestly the weirdest story surrounding the Street Outlaws program in 2015, the home base for Justin and Shawn, the Midwest Street Cars shop was shot up one night while the place was empty. The assailants shot through the windows and doors, leaving the place riddled with holes. Perhaps even scarier, the same people are suspected to have traveled to the home of Shawn Ellington (Murder Nova) and were scared off when the motion sensor lights came on while they were in the middle of trespassing. There was apparently security camera footage of the people at Ellington’s property. Since this has happened nothing has been said, no updates have come from the police, the cast members, no one. We’re guessing the investigation is still open but there has been no work from the Oklahoma PD that’s on the case.

LINK: MIDWEST STREET CARS SHOT UP OVERNIGHT WHILE BUSINESS WAS CLOSED 

November 14th – Justin “Big Chief” Shearer crashes and destroys the Crow

This story literally crashed BangShift. When we ran the photos and information that we got from Justin, the response was so overwhelming that the influx in traffic (which literally came in waves) knocked out servers offline and we had to call for backup. This was proof positive of the popularity of the show and proof of the popularity of the cars involved. Brian Davis was the car in the other lane last weekend when the wreck occurred and his machine was destroyed as well. Shearer has been in the hospital with injures since the crash and this injures range from bruised lungs to crushed veterbrae and other really unpleasant stuff. The cage and safety equipment saved him. He has already vowed to come back from this. Davis was banged up himself, and has publicly came out saying that the Street Outlaws crew supported him as well, thanked Shearer and his wife for their support, and has offered to help Justin however he can.

LINK: Justin “Big Chief” Shearer crashes and destroys his beloved Crow 1972 LeMans