It’s not a national holiday or even a date that the most diehard of gearhead would recognize, but June 10, 2013, marked a major milestone that revolutionized automotive culture and motorsports history; on that date, a band of unlikely television stars and their vehicles graced the small screen during the pilot episode of Discovery’s brand new series, Street Outlaws, a show that quickly catapulted drag racing into the mainstream and pop culture around the globe. Ten years later, it remains a Monday-night staple on the airwaves — one of the longest-running automotive-centric reality programs in television history.

The initial pilot episode, dubbed “Midnight Riders” and produced for Discovery by Lionsgate’s Pilgrim Media Group with Craig Piligian and Sam Korkis serving as executive producers, was a humble effort to document the behind-the-scenes drama of a group of diehard street racers from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Although the future potential of the show may have seemed questionable at first, its airing lit a fuse of fame that simply refused to be extinguished.

Centered around the OKC’s elite quickest and fastest, a Top Ten “List” ranked the drivers’ performances and put clear targets on their backs. Appearing in the original Street Outlaws pilot were Justin “Big Chief” Shearer, Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington, James “Doc” Love, “Daddy Dave” Comstock, Jerry “Monza” Johnston, “Dominator” Joe Woods, Tyler “Flip” Priddy, Chuck Seitsinger, Brian “Gotee Bo” Tessneer, Wayne Varley, and the dynamic duo of Sean “Farmtruck” Whitley and Jeff “AZN” Bonnett.

Ironically, though, the filming of the pilot itself was met with both confidence and skepticism. Dominator was busy living a life of building cars at home in between working his day job. He had been street racing for years prior and, after having been caught up in a SWAT sting operation in the 1990s, originally believed Street Outlaws was another elaborate, orchestrated attempt by the FBI to shut down local racers.

“I thought it was a scam and they were just trying to get as much information on us as possible before they threw us in prison,” laughed Dominator of his reaction to when the show was first pitched to him. He was also hesitant to engage in something that may inspire impressionable teens to drive recklessly and endanger themselves. “But, with so much negativity being promoted by mainstream media, I decided that I could help educate others through the show about the reality of what takes place on the street and how to do it as safely as possible.”

Conversely, Doc was all in right from the very beginning. He had been working hard to provide for his family and raise his two daughters, drive as much as he could, and keep his business afloat; it was a fairly common, average life for the everyman racer in middle America.

“I didn’t realize it would be this big, but I knew right away the show would be a hit because it’s so f***ing cool what we do – and that’s the reason I do it!” Doc proudly proclaimed. “This little ol’ backward part of the country had a huge underground street racing scene and it was awesome. We were able to capture what we do and the pure excitement and enjoyment of it just had to be big.”

…with so much negativity being promoted by mainstream media, I decided that I could help educate others through the show about the reality of what takes place on the street and how to do it as safely as possible. – Joe “Dominator” Woods

Chuck, meanwhile, was somewhere in the middle. An avid, lifelong racer of practically anything with an engine and working paycheck to paycheck to fund his endeavors, Chuck earned two NOPI national championships from 2004-2006 when he spent a stint racing import cars, and even earned a coveted Wally trophy when he won the one-and-only NHRA Sport Compact event he ever attended.

When Street Outlaws began, Chuck was in the middle of a difficult divorce. “I was almost 40, had just moved back in with my mother, and I had my Dodge truck with 500,000 miles on it,” remembered the man, eager to be involved with something that could allow him an opportunity to start over. “I figured we would do one and be done, that no one would care about a group of guys from Oklahoma, but I was excited about it.”

Farmtruck and AZN, too, were living average lives with average jobs and multiple side hustles to fund their project cars. They also thought that the show “would only be temporary,” but it would be something fun to do in the interim.

Fortunately for him and the entire OKC 405 crew, Dominator was wrong about his initial concerns, as were the rest who expected it to quickly fizzle out. Street Outlaws gave audiences a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the personal lives, both on and off the streets, of the relatable racers who were willing to do whatever it took to improve their positions on “The List.” Their passion, enthusiasm, and rivalries were contagious – and the show instantly got traction among viewers.

The airing of Season 1, Episode 1 was a bittersweet moment in entertainment history, though, as Flip had tragically lost his life on May 28, 2013, mere days before the first Street Outlaws show aired. In the episode, Flip, Murder Nova, and Big Chief posed as security guards to pull a prank on Chuck during a test session on the street. The result was hilarious and helped hook an audience already hungry for more.

The pilot episode was also full of plenty of racing, and Chuck and Monza were the first pair to jump into the fray. “We filmed in February, it was freezing, and we wound up having a super sketchy surface because it had never actually been driven on,” recalled Chuck of the unexpectedly challenging conditions that were like racing on sandpaper. “Monza knocked the tires off, I took off but started spinning my tires and, for whatever reason, I got sideways, went into the grass, did a complete 360, got back on the road in my lane, gassed the car, and won the race since I hadn’t crossed the centerline.”

With the bumper hanging off his 1989 Ford Mustang, aptly named “The Death Trap”, Chuck shocked (and scared) the Street Outlaws production crew but provided pricelessly riveting content. Later, the pilot also featured the first-ever, televised “List” race which was contested between Chuck and Flip, and Flip took the win by a car length.

“Immediately after the show aired, people began recognizing us not for street racing, but for being famous,” AZN shared of how things “got weird” in a hurry. Together with Farmtruck, the men made an appearance at a race and were shocked to see lines of literally hundreds and hundreds of fans waiting to meet them and buy some apparel. “I made $1,000 that night from selling stickers and was so happy, I didn’t think it could get better than that.” Farmtruck, too, was floored by the newfound fame. “It was definitely a pinch-me moment,” he added.

Despite early success, the 405’s racers doubted that their show would be contracted for a second season…but it was, and the green light was lit for the next ten years of Street Outlaws superstardom. Street Outlaws became so successful, in fact, that it spawned multiple spin-off series that rapidly grew into a drag racing dynasty.

Everything happens for a reason, and I’m in the best place of my life now. It’s a Cinderella story, yeah, but I’ve worked my ass off for it. – Chuck Seitsinger

From Street Outlaws: New Orleans’ debut in February of 2016 with Kye Kelley, who had famously defeated Big Chief at a Cash Days race in March of 2015 and catapulted himself to fame, to a second spin-off, Memphis Street Outlaws with Jonathan Day aka “JJ Da Boss” in December of 2018 with its “Memphis Against the World” pilot, the Street Outlaws empire showed no signs of slowing down and eventually expanded even further into live racing events where spectators were welcomed.

On August 22, 2017, the inaugural Street Outlaws Live event was held at Bristol Dragway in Tennessee and it was none other than Big Chief himself who took home the incredible $100,000 prize. Not long after, in November of that same year, the first-ever Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings race was held at Kentucky’s Beech Bend Raceway Park; the event marked the start of the “NPK” championship racing series, as well as yet another dedicated show series, and has been a major win for Discovery as well in terms of viewership.

As the popularity of Street Outlaws and its associated entities grew, the lives of its stars began to change. From having to juggle the demanding and rigorous requirements of filming schedules with entrepreneurial businesses, day jobs, and familial obligations to handling the oddities of newfound fame – including fans and haters alike – was a surprising, monumental task.

Doc, a self-described “people person,” actively embraced both ends of his new role with open arms. “Everyone has dreams and aspirations of being rich and famous. I wasn’t gifted at sports and can’t play a damn E chord on the guitar, so I thought it was out of the question for me,” laughed the man who spent a lifetime working and building a business but wound up being something akin to a rockstar through drag racing a little later in life instead. “You’re never too old to have that dream come true.”

Despite his success and despite knowing he’s on a platform in the public eye, Chuck doesn’t consider himself famous in the traditional sense of the word. “I’m just a drag racer that happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he asserted. “It was hard to push past all the negative comments at first, because after a while you start to believe all the bad things about yourself that you read online, but you can’t be successful without haters.”

Interestingly, Dominator’s three daughters have also benefitted thanks to their father’s fame. “They’re getting opportunities and educational experiences that can help shape their futures and their careers that they wouldn’t have gotten without the show,” he noted. “But, I am concerned about them being exposed to the negative side of this… there are some not-good people out there.”

The ability for anyone to so easily spout their opinion on social media has certainly been hard for the Street Outlaws’ crew to handle on occasion, but the polarizing dichotomy of positive, happy fans versus negative, angry haters only further fueled the show’s growth. “There are two kinds of people who watch the show – those who watch it because they love it and enjoy talking about it with their friends, or the people that want to see you fail so they can talk sh-t on you,” Dominator added.

AZN shares a similar sentiment, as he’s smart enough to be able to separate himself from the show-induced drama. “Most people watch to get a laugh or an adrenaline rush from what we do so they can escape their own realities while we’re trying to shape our own,” said the street racing sage.

Regardless, it’s the fans and enthusiasts that motivate all of the Street Outlaws stars to continue filming. For them, knowing they’re helping to develop a new generation of drag racers, and potentially helping parents and children connect over a common interest where there may not have been anything for them to bond over otherwise, has been truly rewarding.

This experience has enriched me and I’m a better person because of it. With so much negativity in society, I try to impact people’s lives positively. I’m not successful all the time, but I try my best. – James “Doc” Love

“We literally changed car culture in America, if not the entire world, because of the show and helped reinvigorate the sport,” agreed Doc, who is also happy that he’s able to help make a positive impact on the sales of companies and manufacturers which have supported him over the years. “I’ve gotten thousands and thousands of messages about how we have inspired people to get back in the garage or brought fathers and sons closer together through project cars. It’s incredible.”

The fame, though, was only part of the life-altering side-effect of being involved as everyone in front of the camera has seen their world turn upside-down since the launch of Street Outlaws. Ten years later, dreams have come true, hardships were endured, and lives have been lost, but the OKC’s original players have no regrets.

“I went from being deadbeat broke to having an easier, simpler life where I can make a living doing this,” said Chuck, who ultimately sold his business and now enjoys the freedom of traveling with the show as well as the perks he’s able to provide for his two teenage daughters. From his days in a doublewide to his current dream home and his fleet of vehicles, Chuck never imagined he’d be a professional drag racer. “Everything happens for a reason, and I’m in the best place of my life now. It’s a Cinderella story, yeah, but I’ve worked my ass off for it.”

Dominator, too, also had to shutter his business building cars but his was by necessity, not by choice. “The flipside of living the dream is that sometimes it can be a nightmare…the last few years of filming crushed my business,” he confessed of how heavy a toll all the time spent traveling and filming while racing has taken on his life. “It’s incredibly stressful, but even the bad days aren’t so bad and I was able to quit my oilfield job. It’s definitely been an interesting journey.”

Although Doc achieved his dream of being famous, he’s still trying to figure out how to make ends meet as he also closed his shop to focus on his Street Outlaws program instead. “Yeah, it’s nice being recognized when I’m out of town, but it’s frustrating to look at the finances and realize I have less money now than when I had my own business,” lamented the man who is quick to point out he’s not looking for a pity party, only honesty. “Being one of the most hated guys on the show for years has made it tough to get sponsorships and assistance to do this, but I’m loyal to the people that helped me get where I am because I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Instead of being angry, though, Doc has focused on working on improving himself. “This experience has enriched me and I’m a better person because of it. With so much negativity in society, I try to impact people’s lives positively. I’m not successful all the time, but I try my best,” he stated.

Conversely, Farmtruck and AZN’s happy-go-lucky, goofy personas have endeared them into the hearts of millions – and that goes for manufacturers, as well. Thanks to Street Outlaws, the men have found it easier to find sponsors than ever before because companies want to capitalize on the exposure they have to offer. “We’re grateful for ‘em! Everyone thinks when you’re on TV, you make a million dollars, but we aren’t and we’ve had to find ways to make money, whether its through merchandise or sponsors or whatnot,” confessed Farmtruck.

AZN realized early on that Street Outlaws would be able to provide an injection of momentum to fast-track his entrepreneurial initiatives and provide a launch pad for other opportunities to propel him forward extremely quickly. “We’ve made some missteps along the way while we were learning, but overall, it’s been more of a blessing than a curse,” he affirmed.

“This isn’t something you can really pursue, it’s something that has to happen to you. It happened to us and we’re grateful for it, but at the end of the day, if you pursue what you’re good at, you love what you do, and you surround yourself with people that care about you, hopefully something comes of it,” said AZN. “And, if not, then it was still time well spent.”

Over the past decade-plus, Street Outlaws has undeniably changed drag racing as a sport, as a culture, and as a way of life. Early on, some argued that it had done a disservice to drag racing by glamorizing and promoting unsafe and illegal activities, but in the years since, the counterpoint has been clearly made that it’s helped introduce countless new fans and potential participants that will help racing continue to thrive for generations to come. The program has also provided an untold number of racers, tuners, manufacturers, and performance shops from our sport well-deserved opportunities at the spotlight.

From controversy to camaraderie, catastrophe to celebration, Discovery’s Street Outlaws and its sister series have all made indelible marks in automotive history with an exciting, entertaining legacy. From its uncertain start to its current eleventh year with no end in sight, there’s definitely a lot more yet to come for drag racing’s most popular reality show – but none of it would have been possible without the fans that stood behind the stars and helped make the show a hit on a major network, even so many years later.