(Photos: Jason ‘Nubs’ Dun – Larry Jeffers Race Cars) – So the internet has been openly speculating about what will be powering Justin Shearer’s Crow Mod at the Chevrolet Performance NHRA US Nationals and the word has come from the man himself. It will be Pontiac powered. Here’s a direct quote from a recent public statement made by Big Chief:
oh and no big cooperate sponsors bought me an engine or any crap like that.
I will be there with my car that I paid cash for (not my families money, not my dads money, not borrowed money, not sponsored money) Hard earned 100 dollar bills.
I will be driving my own car with my NHRA Pro Mod license that I earned.
I will be using my 4 year old Butler Pontiac 482 CI engine that I paid for
I will be tuning my own car with hard earned knowledge and a little luck
I will haul it to Indy (not fly in with my helmet) in my trailer I paid cash for, behind my 250k mile Chevy truck I paid for.
My car, my engine, my crew, my tools, my parts, my laptop, my friends and my stereo system in my trailer blasting offensive trap music all weekend lololol…..
How many of you throwing Internet stones can say the same thing? If any of you jerks wanted it near as bad as I do, your name would be on that list as well!!!!
This announcement is neat because it answers the question everyone was wondering about and in doing so, raises a couple of interesting points. The first is that the US Nationals pro mod fields have been some of the, if not the quickest in history. Over the last couple of US Nationals J&A Service Company Pro Mod fields, the bump spots have been 5.995 in 2014 and 5.940 in 2015. So far, the 482ci Butler built Pontiac engine has propelled the car to elapsed times at the very bottom of the four second range in the eighth mile. All of this adds up to a tough row to hoe for the car that seems hopeless on paper. This being said, we have seen lots more insane stuff happen in this sport than a guy with an underdog combo qualifying for a field everyone counted him out for. If you are a fan of the pro mod series you know that these cars are insanely unpredictable and quite literally anything can happen.
We’re virtually 100% sure this will be the first Pontiac style engine that has ever attempted to qualify for an NHRA pro mod series event in the 16 years that the cars have been showing up at national events. We’re actually pumped that he will be there with the Poncho engine in the car. It makes him the underdog of the century.
Hate the guy if you want but this will be a story lots of people will be talking about at the event!
Whaaa…. wait while I go get my violin.
If you are side stepping sponsors dude, you are a fool.
And here we have our first hater in no time flat!
I can’t stand the show, but i’m a huge fan of the guys, especially Lutz, Shaun, and Chief. Even if he doesn’t qualify, he’s proving that you don’t have to be a millionaire to do this, and he already proved that you don’t have to be part of the millionaire’s club to be somewhat competitive in radial racing. Go Chief!
Very, very well spoken Chief. Built, not bought!!!
Personally cant stand the show. But, as an enthusiast it’s good to see BrandX’s car using the same parts a lot of us Pontiac racers use to run his at Indy. Most of us only wish we could do that.
Great marketing by NHRA, since they have been getting hammered by Street Outlaws as well as the rise of events like the Yellow Bullet Nationals as well as Don Longs races. They needed this to help them stay alive and suck people into their overpriced game. I would have been way happier if Chief told them to get lost and stayed with the smaller promoters.
Glad to hear he’s keeping it Pontiac powered. Even if it’s outgunned, it’s interesting to see somebody trying a unique engine combo.
NHRA slips in $50,000 on behalf of Shearer for a Pro Mod position at INDY
I’m all for diversity when it comes to engine platforms.
Kinda weird that NHRA wants all these diverse drivers yet engine platforms must …….. Oh don’t get me started.
Anyway, I’m a Ford guy but will root for Chief. Call it raging against the machine.
Ah, now we need some crowd funding for a 5.3 BS Pontiac block and trick Pontiac heads from CFE or ?. Justin is the real deal. Diversity puts people in the stands. Ride that Tiger Chief !
Is it messed up that I have more interest in watching Olympic women’s ping pong than I do in this this conversation.
If you would have said women’s beach volleyball I could understand.
good for you Shearer , My Wife and lad love the show , hope you do well You Definitely Deserve it , I wish that fella Brad over at Wise Performance would get some of those New Olds blocks finished so maybe some Olds guys could make a show too . . . .
Theres still two spaces available in PRO MOD at the US Nationals, if you have a Grade point and a fast car sign up. Good luck Justin you’ll have an insane time.
Blah blah. You act like you are the first guy to do that. Big deal.