Two of the most popular cars on Discovery Channel’s hit Street Outlaws show will be trading their monster slicks for Mickey Thompson Drag Radials in a few weeks. Shawn Ellington, driver of the sinister Murder Nova, and Justin “Big Chief” Shearer, driver of Pontiac GTO dubbed “The Crow”, are making the swap and jumping right into competition at the upcoming Outlaw Street Car Reunion at Memphis International Raceway in March.

The change to radials will require some pretty major changes in the high-powered rides, as they are both setup for the low-traction world of street racing. However, traction will likely be the least of their worries, as “radial prep” of a track surface, especially one prepped by Tyler Crossnoe, the promoter of this event, has advanced to the point of incomprehensible stickness. In reality, the changes that will be made will focus on handling the dead-hook of the drag radials versus the controlled slip they deal with on the street.

Among the changes planned are new torque converters, a key component in mastering the transfer of power rearward from the twin-turbocharged power plants that propel both cars. Ellington and Shearer also plan to change rear gear ratios to deal with the much shorter tire height of the M/T Drag Radials. Another key adjustment both cars will need is a shift in weight distribution. As they sit, the cars are weighted heavily to the rear to help with traction on the street, but without wheelie bars to control the launch, both cars would likely be pointed skyward on the sticky radials.

Finally, both rides will require different tunes for their boost curves. On their typical surface, they have to get the cars rolling a bit before they bring in the boost. On the track, they should be able to bring it in much quicker as long as the nose stays earthbound. Of course, Shawn and Chief both plan to get in as much testing as possible on their new rubber before the race, so that they’re at least familiar with what the cars like and can make some competitive runs at one of radial racing’s premiere events!