Pilgrim Studios, producers of the popular “Street Outlaws” reality television franchise on the Discovery Channel, upended the traditional — but unofficial from a competition standpoint — teams that have long served as the very foundation of the franchise for season six of “No Prep Kings” by transitioning to a team championship format. These squads were created by way of an NFL-style draft composed of five drivers apiece, which were sure to — and did — separate friends, neighbors, stablemates, and even family members. The end result is what we’d expect to be a long season of exciting competition as well as off-track drama.

By way of a highly-contentious online popular vote, Daddy Dave Comstock edged out Lizzy Musi to earn the eighth and final team-lead spot, joining Ryan Martin, Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington, Jay Boddie, “Disco Dean” Karns, Kye Kelley,  Mike Murillo, and Justin Swanstrom as captains. Karns, who perhaps was gifted from above for coming to the draft easily the most prepared — custom “Dean’s List” jerseys and all for his new team members — scored the number-one chip and selected Jerry Bird and his new nitrous oxide-assisted ’68 Mustang as the overall first pick. Jim Howe, Scott Taylor, Nate Sayler, Jeff Lutz, Robin Roberts, Kayla Morton, and Lizzy Musi were taken as subsequent opening round selections.

Most notably, Justin Swanstrom, last season’s third-place finisher, ended up with what he and father Corey said were their originally intended choices: an all screw-blown team consisting of Howe, John Odom, Justin’s quasi-teammate Kallee Mills, and Tony McKinney. Martin, the reigning champion and certainly still the favorite, grabbed a very-fast Giuseppe Gentile, an every-weekend contender in Roberts, Rich Bruder, and 405 OG Chuck Seitsinger. Kelley was fortunate enough to have the final first-round selection and took his longtime teammates Lizzy Musi and David Gates back-to-back, keeping their NOLA crew partially intact. Jay Boddie snatched up a couple of his intended Team Cali members in Nate Sayler and Mike Bowman, and Ellington was reunited with his buddy Jeff Lutz and also got a resurgent “Chuck 55” Parker. Comstock drafted a surging Kayla Morton, as well as an always-quick Larry Roach, and Murillo will have the likes of Scott Taylor and Brandon James in his corner.

Perhaps one of the least-talked-about but most important outcomes from the new format was the inclusion of many drivers who had cut their teeth in the Future Street Outlaws program in 2022, including the likes of Nate Sayler, Manny Alvarez, Marty Robertson, and Greg Chandler, who got to step onto the big stage, draw chips, and prove their talents for the first time.

Not drafted in Ohio were Tim Brown, James “Reaper” Goad, Dave Adkins, Joe “Dominator” Woods (who was not present at the event), James “Doc” Love, Calvin Franco, and Shawn Wilhoit. Those drivers, who in the interim will compete in Outlaw Big Tire, can be tabbed at any time to fill in for a missing or broken team driver, and in a further twist, can be effectively “called up” to replace another driver on any given team if said driver is, well…not performing. That fact is likely to create some tension, but also incentive from below to produce strong-running non-draftee cars to catch the eye of the eight team captains throughout the season and earn their way, permanently, into the invitational.

All that said….who was the big winner or winners in this very unique draft? And who were the losers? Who do you feel are the top contenders, and who is likely to find themselves sent down or called up to the big show over the 13 weekends of racing that are to come?